Director Ben Affleck revealed that among basketball legend Michael Jordan’s numerous requests for the movie “Air,” one of them was Viola Davis had to play his mother. Affleck revealed during the film’s premiere at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas, “Michael Jordan said, ‘None of this would have ever happened without my mother.’ I said, ‘Who would you like to play your mom?’ He said, ‘Well, it has to be Viola Davis.’”

Affleck said, “That’s like saying, ‘Can I play basketball on your court?’ ‘Yeah, if you get Michael Jordan.’ “Viola Davis is the best actor I’ve ever seen.” Affleck said if he ever became a director after his decades-long acting career, he would want to cast Davis in one of his movies, adding, “That would really be something. That would mean the world to me. And it does.”

As he wrapped his comments at the premiere before bringing Davis onstage, Affleck said, “This is the best night of my professional life, and I want to welcome the best actor in the world.” Affleck also said that Jordan wanted Howard White, vice president of the Jordan brand, to be included in the movie and saw that as an opportunity to work with Chris Tucker, whom he had wanted to work with for years.

Audiences got their first looks at the film shortly after the cast’s onstage appearances. “Air,” directed by Affleck, stars Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike employee who convinced Jordan, played by Damian Young, to sign the deal that would eventually lead to creating the iconic Air Jordan shoe line.

Affleck also stars in the film alongside Davis, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker and others. The story is a testament to Davis’ pedigree as an actress (and, frankly, Jordan’s good taste in movies). But many fans wondered how Davis reacted to having arguably the greatest athlete of all time request that she plays his mother.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Davis recalled the surreal experience that led to her casting. She said, “You know, you’re flattered at first, and then the next second is pressure. [Pressure] to play the woman who basically is the orchestrator of this great athlete’s life, you know?”

Once the initial shock wore off, Davis said her admiration for Jordan’s mother grew as she dug into the role. Davis said, “Obviously, she was so influential, and then I’m looking at videos of her, and if you’ve ever seen videos of Deloris Jordan, she’s extraordinary, she really is. Because she’s one of those, you know, she’s one of those people where you’re like, ‘Where did this talent come from? Where did this vision come from?’”

People love nothing more than the story of an underdog, which is why the sports genre has so often resonated with audiences and, at times, the Oscars. Depending on your definition of what qualifies as a “sports movie,” there have been 17 nominated for best picture in 95 years, with three winners: “Rocky” (1976), “Chariots of Fire” (1981) and “Million Dollar Baby” (2004). “Air” opens in theaters on April 5, 2023.