Legends and Soles, The Memoir of An American Authentic, is the long-awaited guide on the life and instances of Sonny Vaccaro, a sports activities advertising and marketing maverick and basketball insider who’s greatest recognized for spearheading a push to signal budding NBA star Michael Jordan to a unprecedented Nike endorsement deal in 1984. The Jordan deal revolutionized sports activities advertising and marketing and helped make His Airness a bigger than life determine who transcended widespread tradition, first in America after which around the globe.
Vaccaro’s memoir, written in collaboration with six-time New York Instances bestselling writer Armen Keteyian, was revealed by HarperCollins and has been out there in widespread mediums since February 25, 2025. The 322-page memoir chronicles Vaccaro’s most defining moments, from the start of the primary highschool All-American recreation in 1965, the Roundball Basic, to courting faculty basketball coaches for start-up Nike, to going “all in” on Jordan as Nike’s prime endorser, to the bitter disappointment of permitting LeBron James to signal with Nike in 2003 after he was fired by the shoe-company big 12 years earlier, to his pivotal position within the O’Bannon vs. NCAA lawsuit.
Essentially the most memorable and gripping tales of Vaccaro’s life because the “Godfather of Summer season Basketball” and the basketball insider who persuaded Nike to speculate closely in Jordan had been well-chronicled in ESPN’s 30 For 30 Documentary “Sole Man” in 2015 and delivered to life by the 2023 film “Air: Courting A Legend” starring Matt Damon as Vaccaro and Ben Affleck as Nike Czar Phil Knight. There isn’t any have to re-hash the seminal moments such because the well-known assembly with Jordan at Tony Roma’s in Santa Monica or facilitating a little-known plan for the L.A. Lakers to draft the late Kobe Bryant straight out of highschool in 1996 right here.
As a media companion and promotion liaison for the Roundball Basic within the early 2000s till the final recreation in 2007 whereas working for Pupil Sports activities, yours really had an opportunity to spend a while with Vaccaro and work together with his workforce that made the all-star occasion occur, notably together with his spouse Pam Vaccaro and Pam’s late sister, Mary Jo Monakee Schwartz. What we wished to do for different basketball afficiandos and true followers of the sport is convey to mild 15 essential revelations we realized from studying his memoir that helped tie the seminal moments collectively. Regardless of quite a few conversations with Vaccaro, these are issues we have by no means knew or requested him about till after studying his memoir.
Legends And Soles: 15 Issues We Did not Know
The Huge Fella1. How a lot credit score he really gave the late Rob Strasser, Nike’s Advertising and marketing Director, who he met and launched Vaccaro to his future boss, Nike CEO Phil Knight, in 1977. A advertising and marketing genius, Strasser didn’t like practising regulation as a lot as Vaccaro didn’t like being a college trainer when he was attempting to get the Roundball Basic off the bottom within the mid-Nineteen Sixties. He referred to as Strasser, who handed at 46 in 1993, a “once-in-a-lifetime” individual. “He died so younger, nobody actually knew how essential he was to the entire deal,” Vaccaro instructed Ballislife. “Knight put it on his shoulders to go to the Dapper Dan and see what it was all about. That positioned me and allowed me to ultimately get to Michael. It was all arrange by Rob.”
Ballplayer Dreams2. The Pittsburgh Pirates provided Vaccaro a $3,000 Minor League Contract out of Trafford (Pa.) Excessive Faculty in 1957. The long run face of grassroots basketball was additionally All-WPIAL in soccer, which helped him earn a scholarship to the College of Kentucky. Vaccaro needed to attend Reedley School in California to make grades for a D1 college, however his accidents saved his soccer profession from getting off the bottom, though his present for gab and referring to athletes led him to accepting a scholarship as a basketball recruiting assistant at Youngstown College.
Chilly Call3. We by no means knew how Sonny linked with the parents on the Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette when he wished to pursue his thought of the Roundball Basic. He referred to as Marino Parascenzo, the Gazette’s highschool sports activities author, to get his thought off the bottom. It was Parascenzo’s thought to carry the sport on the new Civic Area to get the Dapper Dan Membership concerned with a charitable angle, when Vaccaro’s first thought was to carry it at an area highschool. With pal Pat DiCesare being an occasion promoter who had booked the Beatles on the Civic Area, the concept caught the eye of Al Abrams, president of Dapper Dan charities. “Parascenzo is a few years older than me, nonetheless residing, and I converse to his great-grand daughter” Vaccaro mentioned. “Pat had a few {dollars} and the Beatles had got here in.”
“I Will not Be In The Approach”4. Vaccaro recruited the primary United States groups by cellphone from the workplaces on the Publish-Gazette. That will absolutely be laborious to do as we speak. Being 25 years previous most likely helped, as a result of in these days younger males had been mature and other people in the neighborhood had been prepared to assist them. These days, it’s laborious to ascertain a younger man that age making a significant dent within the grassroots basketball world trying to begin a nationwide all-star recreation.
This Beats Teaching5. Vaccaro labored with brokers to signal gamers for the ABA in 1969, and even signed George Gervin to the Virginia Squires. Vaccaro working with brokers whereas being the occasion director of the Roundball Basic opens as a lot eyes as his low season playing forays every spring and summer time within the pre-Nike says. “Once I went to work for Nike, they knew all about my playing; I by no means hid that,” Vaccaro mentioned.
McDonald’s Roundball Basic?6. Vaccaro approached McDonald’s about being a sponsor for his Roundball Basic a 12 months earlier than the corporate bought concerned with the late Bob Geoghan to sponsor the Capital Basic in Washington, D.C. in 1974. Geoghan used that sponsorship of his DMV vs. United States showcase to start out the East-West McDonald’s All-American Sport in 1978. Geoghan handed in February of 2022.
“We had been mates till he died,” Vaccaro mentioned. “We misplaced out on gamers, however we handled one another with dignity. He was nice. Bob considered the (McDonald’s) recreation. In 1977, Gene Banks and Albert King had been 1-2 within the nation they usually went to play within the Capital Basic. So did Wayne McCoy and Magic Johnson. I went to the sport, and I flew them residence to verify they bought to the Roundball. Kenny Turner, Magic’s man, we had him locked in and we thought he was going to play. Then Magic went to Europe. That was bitter as a result of we had him already. After the 1979 NCAA’s, Magic got here by to speak to the Roundball guys.
“For me with McDonald’s, that they had a reputation and I used to be searching for sponsorship cash. I went to their headquarters in Northbrook, Ailing., and wished them to be concerned. I went there on my dime. It wasn’t an immediate connection. In these days, there was no comply with up or electronic mail. There was no have to name again once more. I don’t know what they thought with regard to Bob.”
“Please Mr. Vaccaro, Please!”7. It was at his ultimate Huge Ten Basketball Camp in 1970 the place he bought the premonition from an unsung camper that sneakers had been greater than only a needed software of the sport. They could possibly be cool and trendy. “The camper’s identify was Charley and that occurred prefer it was yesterday,” Vaccaro mentioned.
“It is Gotta Be The Sneakers”8. Vaccaro’s first foray with Nike at 37 years previous was with the intention to create basketball footwear. Vaccaro’s first chilly calls, naturally had been to Converse and Professional-Keds, however that didn’t yield any outcomes. It was tremendous agent Jerry Davis who made the connection to Nike, which was first generally known as Blue Ribbon Sports activities. “If the Nike factor didn’t begin, I don’t know what the hell I’d have completed,” Vaccaro mentioned. “There by no means would have been a Jordan. By the point I bought to Nike, Pam and I knew one another already. I didn’t have the cash to do something.”
Hey Nike9. It took Vaccaro 13 years to get sponsorship cash for the Roundball Basic (in 1978); the sport would not simply depend on the gate.
Marked Man10. The NCAA hounded Vaccaro for his connections to then UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian, the primary faculty hoops coach he signed to an endorsement cope with Nike in 1978.
“Vegas Sonny”11. Within the early Eighties, the Inside Income Service (IRS) ultimately had Vaccaro pay again taxes for the plethora of Vegas comps he had due to his playing and connections on the town by way of UNLV. Vaccaro is fairly positive his run-in with former FBI agent turned NCAA investigator Hale McMenamin was the explanation the IRS regarded into his taxes.
Pittsburgh To Vegas12. He met famend oddsmaker and playing Corridor of Famer Jack Franzi (aka “Pittsburgh Jack”) by way of the Roundball Basic. It was Franzi that bought Vaccaro’s youthful brother Jimmy into the sports activities handicapping world. Jimmy Vaccaro continues to be in Vegas as a bookmaker at South Pointe On line casino and in 2023 was a part of the inaugural Sports activities Playing Corridor of Fame.
“Oh, By The Approach…”13. Northwestern College English professor Arthur “Chick” Sherrer owned the Athletes For Higher Training (AFBE) Camp, however didn’t convey to Sonny the camp was behind on its payments to Princeton College when he wished Nike to sponsor it with attire in 1983. Vaccaro wished to make it a Nike property, however the shoe firm’s authorized workforce was weary about proudly owning the camp due to the legal responsibility of gamers or coaches getting harm. Nike paid off the debt and Vaccaro took possession and renamed it the ABCD (Tutorial Betterment and Profession Improvement) Camp. “I used to be by no means eager about operating a camp at the moment,” Vaccaro mentioned. “I knew straight away I needed to get these youngsters in Nike footwear. Pam ran the camp after I bought sick (in Europe). She mainly ran the camped and every little thing was organized.”
Model Jordan or Jordan Model?14. Rob Strasser and Peter Moore had been influential within the creation of the Jordan Model, sarcastically after that they had left Nike in 1987. The advertising and marketing duo had created their very own firm after parting methods with Nike and pitched to Phil Knight what Michael, as his personal particular person model, may appear to be sooner or later when his contract was up for re-negotiation in 1988. The Nike CEO wasn’t thrilled with that concept. “Michael and Peter Moore had been shut,” Vaccaro mentioned. “They performed golf collectively. I don’t know if he would have left, however we couldn’t get him $20 million a 12 months. We actually weren’t going to go bankrupt attempting to. We instructed him ‘you higher stick to Knight, we are able to’t assure you the cash.”‘
“I will Do It, Sonny”15. Excessive-powered civil rights lawyer Michael Hausfeld and Vaccaro wanted a lead plaintiff of their monumental antitrust case vs. the NCAA. Ed O’Bannon clearly understood the injustices of his likeness being utilized in a EA SPORTS online game with out his consent, however many assumed he reached out to Vaccaro and others for authorized counsel on the matter. It occurred to be the opposite means round. Haufeld’s authorized workforce and Vaccaro wanted a reputable and good lead plaintiff for the case. Vaccaro reached out to quite a few different athletes previous to the 1990 highschool All-American out of Artesia (Lakewood, Calif.). Not that they should be named, however one was a late Syracuse level guard that was a staple of ESPN faculty basketball telecasts within the mid Eighties.
Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He might be reached at [email protected]. Do not forget to comply with him on Twitter: @RonMFlores
