Legends and soles : the memoir of an American original

Legends and soles The memoir of an American original

Sonny Vaccaro

Book - 2025

The memoir from the "Savior of Nike" provides context to media stories including the courting and signing of Michael Jordan, being investigated by the Portland FBI for corporate espionage, close relationships with NBA superstars and Hall of Fame coaches, and the high-stakes drama behind the O'Bannon lawsuit that changed the landscape of college sports.

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BIOGRAPHY/Vaccaro, Sonny
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Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor New Shelf BIOGRAPHY/Vaccaro, Sonny (NEW SHELF) Checked In
Subjects
Vaccaro, Sonny.
Jordan, Michael, > 1963-
Nike (Firm)
Marketing executives > United States > Biography.
Basketball shoes > Economic aspects.
Endorsements in advertising > United States.
Basketball > Economic aspects > United States.
Sports > United States > Marketing.
Autobiographies.
Biographies.
Genres
Autobiographies
Biographies
Published
New York, NY : HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers [2025]
Language
English
Main Author
Sonny Vaccaro (author)
Other Authors
Armen Keteyian (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
vi, 322 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
ISBN
9780063423435
  • Prologue
  • 1. Backstory: Steel Town Kid
  • 2. Ticket Out of Trafford
  • 3. The Roundball Classic: My Professional Birthplace
  • 4. The Other Big Ten
  • 5. A Bagful of Shoe Ideas
  • 6. On Board with Nike
  • 7. The Inimitable, Irreplaceable Field General
  • 8. The Banzai Blitz of'78
  • 9. The NCAA's Endless Tark Hunt
  • 10. My Alter Ego: Vegas Sonny
  • 11. The Camp That Fell Into My Lap
  • 12. The Genesis of Jordan
  • 13. Sonny, Meet Mr. Michael Jordan
  • 14. Packer Seals the Deal
  • 15. In the Vortex of Jordan Mania
  • 16. When Jordan Almost Walked
  • 17. When Push Comes to Shove
  • 18. The Crash of Flight 23
  • 19. Fourteen Years and Ten Minutes
  • 20. Team Jordan Reconvenes to Save Adidas
  • 21. Jellybean's Kid
  • 22. T-Mac: 175 to 1
  • 23. A Betrayal in Malibu
  • 24. Reebok: My Shoe Wars Swan Song
  • 25. Barnstorming Academia
  • 26. The Tide Turns: Hausfeld Takes the Case
  • 27. Mr. O'Bannon, Please Raise Your Right Hand
  • 28. A Contentious Un-Raveling
  • 29. Air: A Hollywood Nanosecond
  • Encore
  • Acknowledgments
Review by Booklist Review

Vaccaro, one of the most influential sports-marketing executives in basketball, aims to set the record straight with this full accounting of his life. Born in 1939 in a Pennsylvania mill town, the athletic and charismatic Vaccaro developed a gift for promoting events. In 1965, he organized the first high-school all-star basketball game, the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, which ran until 2007, and his gifts for recognizing talent and networking with coaches eventually led him to Nike. There, he was integral to one of the landmark moments in sports history: creating the first Air Jordan shoe and signing Michael Jordan to an unprecedented shoe deal. While his exploits in the athletic-shoe industry are legendary, he also advocated for college players to receive compensation from the NCAA for their name, image, and likeness. In this heartfelt accounting by a man who values loyalty, honesty, and friendship, Vaccaro writes candidly about his successes and setbacks. While the book is a tad over emotional and repetitive at times, Vaccaro's incredible life story is a must-read for sneakerheads, basketball fans, and marketing students alike.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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