When the Air Jordan 1 was created, there was not that much actual tech out there for basketball shoes. Nike changed this by incorporating Air technology in the midsole. Theoretically, this would help with cushioning.https://www.snkrspop.com
The reality is that previous Nike hoops shoes such as the Air Force have a lot more of that “air” feeling in the midsole. Although the tech is there on the AJ1, that isn’t why the sneaker was good for basketball at the time.