The NBA has seen its fair share of legendary men. From 1946 to this day, there have been a plethora of athletes, coaches, executives, and promoters who have built a legacy that lives on long after their exit from the league. But there is one name that stands alone, unparalleled by his own genius, alienated by the lack of any man capable of accomplishing what he pulled off.
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The legacy of Sonny Vaccaro is by far the most complex of all the people that were able to influence the NBA. What made his success even more impressive was that he never actually worked as an official part of the league. He wasn’t a GM or an executive with any team. Yet, without him, shoe endorsements would have remained on the fringes.
He is the reason Michael Jordan signed with Nike and created the brand that has become a behemoth of the shoe industry. Vaccaro is the reason Converse was buried under the weight of its own lack of ingenuity. Sonny was a beast who killed shoe brands with his clever and sometimes shady dealings. And while MJ may just be his biggest deal, Kobe Bryant was the most impressive.
Sonny Vaccaro conspired with Jerry West and shipped Kobe Bryant to the Lakers
In 1996, the world of basketball sneakers was changing rapidly. Perhaps faster than anyone could keep tabs on. But there was one man who understood the ins and outs of it better than even the likes of Phil Knight. In all fairness, Knight would still have been working with college students and coaches if not for Sonny Vaccaro. Sonny clearly knew things Knight couldn’t even dream.
But 1996 was the year he would take Nike, the company that had brutally fired him in 1991, back to ‘school.’ Sonny met Joe Bryant and his son, Kobe Bryant. Bryant was still not famous and had just returned from Italy. The Adidas executive saw a potential golden goose in him and implemented a plan that would ensure Adidas profited immensely from the deal.
He wanted to give the youngster a $1.5 million per year signature shoe deal. But by doing so, he also needed to ensure the success of the shoe line. So Vaccaro took Kobe to Jerry West for a workout. Within 20 minutes, the legendary Laker and then GM, Jerry West, was head over heels for Bryant and wanted him on the squad.
But the Lakers had the 24th pick that season. Unfortunately, Bryant’s expected draft spot was much lower than 24. The only advantage the Lakers had at that point was Kobe’s high school status. The NBA was still not sold on getting high school kids and most teams stayed away from signing 18-year-olds as top picks.
But New Jersey Nets were interested. They wanted to get a swingman and Kobe was a great option. Vaccaro being Vaccaro, went around the town telling executives that Kobe Bryant was planning on leaving for Italy. This eventually swayed the Nets from signing the 18-year-old.
Jerry West ended up scooping Bryant from the Hornets
The Nets had the 8th pick. When they passed on Bryant, the Lakers were finally in contention. The Charlotte Hornets drafted him as the 13th pick and traded him for center Vlade Divac.
Jerry West finally had the player he had wanted after the 20 minutes of workout. Vaccaro, who had also become a close aid to Michael Jordan, had ensured, by his crafty manipulations and diversions, that Adidas’ latest addition ended up in Hollywood, playing for a team with a rich and vibrant history. The perfect playground for a signature shoe to perform at the highest level. The complete story of Kobe and Vaccaro was revealed on ESPN’s 30 for 30 ‘Sole Man’ episode.
