“Michael Jordan Called Me…”: Air Jordan Mastermind Sonny Vaccaro Ensured MJ’s ‘Billionaire’ Status Before Getting Fired

Michael Jordan was not only one of the greatest athletes of all time but also one of the richest. The Chicago Bulls legend earned his wealth from his time in the NBA, as well as a number of smart investments and endorsements. One of them being his lucrative Air Jordan deal.

His Airness originally signed a five-year deal with Nike in 1984. A deal worth $2.5 million, the largest shoe deal at the time. However, it may have never happened if it wasn’t for Sonny Vaccaro.

Vaccaro, the man who persuaded Jordan to not only sign with Nike but to push for the Jordan brand. So, when he was fired from the company, Jordan made sure to call and offer help to the man who assisted in securing his billions.

Michael Jordan called Sonny Vaccaro soon after he was fired from Nike, wondering how he could help

In the year 2023, Michael Jordan is by far the wealthiest athlete on planet earth. With a net worth close to $2 billion, it would be an understatement to say that the six-time NBA Champion is “doing well for himself”.

However, Jordan did not come into this wealth just from being an elite basketball player. No, a lot of credit should go to the brand he created for himself, the Jordan brand. A brand, that may have never found its legs if it wasn’t for Sonny Vaccaro.

The former sports marketing executive is famous for recruiting His Airness during his tenure with Nike. A tenure that came to an end in 1991, after the company’s owner Phil Knight decided to fire him. And, as he recalled in Roland Lazenby’s book, Michael Jordan: The Life, one of the first calls he got following his termination was from Michael, who was looking for any way he could help.

“Phil Knight had recently fired Vaccaro from Nike, but he moved on to successes with other athletic shoe companies. ‘When Phil let me go, Michael called me. One of the first calls I got,’ Vaccaro recalled. ‘He said, ‘What can I do? You want me to call Phil?’ And I said, ”No, it’s done.'”

In spite of losing his job with Nike, Vaccaro continued to find success. He worked with the likes of Adidas and Reebok and now will see himself being played on the big screen in the movie, Air.

Sonny Vaccaro will relive his legendary accomplishment of signing MJ for Nike through the movie, Air

There can be no denying, that Sonny Vaccaro’s “piece de resistance” was signing Michael Jordan for Nike. Well, as of April 5th, Sonny will get to relive that very moment on the big screen. After all, Hollywood superstar Matt Damon will be playing the infamous marketing executive in the movie Air.

Talk about cementing one’s legacy. It will definitely be a movie to catch once it’s out, especially for all the sports fans and sneakerheads out there.