As the movie surrounding Nike executives Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro stirs up more media frenzy, Ben Affleck is here with another tale. This time, it doesn’t involve Michael Jordan but rather Celtics legend Larry Bird.
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Ben Affleck as we all know and love, is Boston born and bred. Naturally, he is a Celtics fan. But to what extent? Well, we didn’t know he was a die-hard fan till he recalled this story on Bill Walton’s podcast, Throw It Down with Bill Walton.
And as he promotes his movie AIR, we were more than happy to hear this story and cover it.
Also read: “If Kevin Garnett Isn’t MVP, I’m Leaving The NBA”: When LeBron James ‘Threatened’ To Retire in 2004
“And I don’t recommend doing this”: Ben Affleck recalls driving 1000 miles to find Larry Bird’s house in French Lick, Indiana
It is not every day that you get a chance to meet your idol. And it certainly doesn’t happen that you drive thousands of miles to meet your childhood hero. Moreover, growing up as a Boston Celtics fan in the 1980s sounds every bit as good.
For Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, this wasn’t some story or an idea, they actually did it. The two drove down from Boston, Massachusetts to French Lick, Indiana to meet Larry Bird. The two places are more than 1000 miles apart!
As Bird was a Celtics legend and this was the late 1980s, Affleck and Damon got to see Larry during his heydey. They talk about how they didn’t actually meet Larry, as it would be a straight-up violation of any privacy rights.
Just take a look at the clip, we promise you it is every bit as hilarious as it sounds.
Roadtrip movie anyone? 👀@BenAffleck talks about the time he and Matt Damon drove to Indiana to find Larry Bird’s house 😂
Watch #NBAThrowItDown with @BillWalton now on the NBA App: https://t.co/bwqrJ5B1Yi pic.twitter.com/8VTMdnhCjW
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2023
AIR, a story on how Nike scouted Michael Jordan will be out on 5th April
While a lot of people think the movie should give credit to Michael Jordan, we think it is not too much of a stretch to credit Phil Knight and Sonny Vaccaro too.
It was the ingenuity of the Nike execs to spot the talent that Jordan had and to lay out a blueprint that would shatter the basketball sneaker market.
Ben Affleck stars as Phil Knight and Matt Damon stars as Sonny Vaccaro in AIR, which releases in theatres on 5th April 2023.
Also read: “Ja Morant Would Cook Michael Jordan”: Tee Morant Showcased The Utmost Confidence In His Son
