Sonny Vaccaro changed the advertisement game forever when he paid college teams to wear Nike shoes, inventing the idea of endorsements in basketball, and for the upstart company’s next big play, the bosses wanted to sign 20 NBA players to contracts for generic Nike shoes like Converse had done. Vaccaro, however, had an idea. A young player named Michael Jordan was just entering the league, and while he was good in college, that was no certain guarantee of his future stardom in the pros. But against all odds, Vaccaro convinced Nike to go all in on Jordan and create a signature, eponymous shoe for him. Barely earning his green light, Vaccaro set to work to promote the single most famous shoe in all of history — betting his career, hopes, and dreams on a single kid who was fresh out of college and a pair of shoes called the Air Jordans.
CREDITS
Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice
Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher
MUSIC
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“Horizons” by Roa
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