Air - A shoe is just a shoe until someone steps into it
This is a story about a salesman who signs a big deal for his company, proving he was right about the opportunity.
In the 80s, Nike is a big name in the sportswear industry, but their sales of basketball shoes are falling behind. Sonny Vaccaro has been hired to pick the next spokesperson for the brand's basketball shoes. Sonny, a big fan of basketball, studies video clips of basketball players. After watching Michael Jordan play in a competition, Sonny sees the determination in his eyes and believe he will become one of the greatest basketball players in the history. Michael Jordan is already a drafted player in that year, and he is the third pick. Nike has a limited budget and the management does not want to put all their eggs in one basket, so they want to sponsor three players with the budget. Sonny believes in his instinct and suggests investing all in Michael Jordan. However, the management thinks it is too expensive and risky to invest in one player only. Additionally, Michael Jordan is a big fan of Adidas, it seems impossible for Nike to sign him as the spokesperson.
Despite management's concerns, Sonny remains convinced that they should sign Michael Jordan. He decides to convince Michael's family in person and flies to North Carolina, showing up unannounced at his family's house. He meets Michael's mom, Deloris, and explains to her why Michael deserves to sign with Nike instead of Adidas or Converse. Deloris is convinced and tells Sonny that they will think about it. Michael's agent, David, later gives Sonny a call, angry at what Sonny did behind his back, but the good news is Michael and team agree to visit Nike's headquarters.
Sonny suggests Nike that they should build a brand around Michael Jordan and create a pair of personalized basketball shoes for him. Sonny then asks Nike's designer, Peter to start working on it before the presentation comes up. The management also agrees to give the entire budget to sign Michael Jordan.
However, on the day Michael meets with Nike's team, he seems unimpressed with their presentation and the design. Sonny then comes up with a speech on the spot, convincing him that having a shoe line, Air Jordan, is something he can leave as a legacy and let others remember him even after retirement. It is a long shot, but Sonny does pull it off. Deloris calls Sonny, agreeing to sign with Nike on the condition that part of the revenue from the sales of every Air Jordan shoe will go to Michael himself. Sonny thought it was a stretch, but Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike, agrees and closes the deal. The rest is history. The first-year sales of Air Jordan exceeds their expectations, generating 162 million dollars in sales for Nike. Ever since he starts playing in NBA, Michael Jordan wears Air Jordan in every game. As NBA has color requirement on the shoes the players wear at court, Michael Jordan is fined per game for wearing Air Jordan, but it is good for publicity. Michael Jordan continues wearing Air Jordan throughout his journey in Chicago Bull, winning championships and MVPs several times, cementing his place as one of the greatest basketball players in history.
It is a story about ambition and belief. Sonny is willing to take a risk and bets his career on a rookie because he can tell Michael Jordan is different from other players. With his experience in scouting basketball talents, Sonny saves the company from shutting down their basketball shoes line, generating millions of sales and outgrowing their competitors eventually. It is a real miracle.