PhD Candidate Bharathan Chandrasekaran writes on "The Invisible Michael Jordan: Why Sports Films Eschew Sports"

History Department PhD Candidate and specialist in the history of sport, Bharathan Chandrasekaran, writes today in Animus: "The Invisible Michael Jordan: Why Sports Films Eschew Sports."

The piece argues that the 2023 Ben Affleck-directed film Air treats basketball icon Michael Jordan not as a sporting hero, but as a silent mascot. Rather than on his atheletic achievements and innovations in the style of play in the NBA, the film's story centers on the corporate visionaries behind Jordan. Chandrasekaran makes the case that both this film and an earlier documentary, The Last Dance, sidestep the nuances of Jordan’s peak athletic performance in favour of myth-making built on presentist hindsight.

Read the whole story at Animus.