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A. Joseph Dial, Disco Network Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Purdue University

In 'Air,' Michael Jordan's silence speaks volumes about the marketing of Black athletes

Michael Jordan NIke Deloris Jordan David Falk Rob Strasser Michael Jackson Peter Moore Sonny Vaccaro Bo Jackson John Henry
Jordan wears his iconic 'Air Jordan' Nike sneakers during a game in 1985. Focus on Sport/Getty Images

The film “Air,” which tells the story of Nike’s signing of Michael Jordan, isn’t actually about Michael Jordan at all.

It’s about the beauty of design and the seduction of marketing. It’s about power suits, purple Porsches and Rolexes. It’s about white men languishing through midlife crises who salivate over the branding potential of a star basketball player.

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