There are few people more impactful in the history of the basketball sneaker world than Sonny Vaccaro.
The iconic sports marketing figure helped revolutionize sports advertising and branding, best known for his tenure at Nike in the ’80s.
Vaccaro is portrayed by Matt Damon in the upcoming movie ‘AIR: Courting a Legend,’ which chronicles the chase for Michael Jordan’s signature with the brand, a move that sent Nike to the top of the sportswear world.
“When Pam [Vaccaro’s wife] and I sat down at the premiere, I was like a child,” Vaccaro told WEII.
“I didn’t move, I was mesmerized from the first scene to the last scene to the credits. Going through it, scene-by-scene, it was as close as I can remember. I was enraptured.”
Who is Sonny Vaccaro?
Vaccaro is a sports marketing executive who worked with Nike, Adidas, and Reebok in their basketball divisions, helping the brands secure the services of signature athletes.
He left Nike in 1991 to work for Adidas and in 1996, he brought a rookie Kobe Bryant to the brand.
Vaccaro was a prominent figure in the basketball world before his tenure with Nike, creating some of the most iconic high school basketball showcases.
In 1964, Vaccaro, alongside his childhood friend Pat DiCesare, launched the first-ever high…
