Mastermind behind Michael Jordan’s deal with Nike thought to be behind Kobe Bryant’s switch to Adidas

A number of factors had to be in place for Michael Jordan’s historic sneaker deal to happen. We all know how Jordan’s breakout success opened doors of opportunity for generations of NBA players to come. Kobe Bryant is one of them. However, it’s not just Jordan and his legacy that is divisive. There was a man behind the scenes who not only got Jordan to join Nike, but also earned Kobe Bryant his first sneaker contract.

Shortly after leading Jordan’s biggest deal, Sonny Vaccaro was fired from Nike amid accusations of foreign business during his time with the company.At this moment, Vaccaro Join rival Adidas. One of his biggest deals with the Three Stripes was signing 17-year-old Kobe Bryant to a six-year contract.

Jermaine O’Neal and Tim Thomas are other names historically linked to the wealthy $35.7 billion brand, all thanks to Sonny Vaccaro (Sonny Vaccaro). During a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, former seventh overall pick Tim Thomas took some time to admire the legend when host Matt Barnes asked him Asked about his Adidas deal.

“Yeah, Sonny was our guy and I was part of the baby team that all went to Adidas. Me, Mike, Kobe, Jermaine were the first ones there, a bunch of us. Antoine Walker. “So many different people. ” Thomas further explained that Vaccaro’s recognition is like an endorsement for a young basketball player. “He’s like the godfather of it all. If he talks about you, it means everything.”

However, Vaccaro is primarily recognized for negotiating the Nike deal with Chicago Bulls legend Jordan.

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Michael Jordan, the legend behind Nike success

Sonny Vaccaro struck up a friendship with the six-time NBA champion’s mother, Deloris Joran. Together, the two convinced Mike to meet with Nike. A recent sports movie, “Air,” was also based on Vaccaro’s time at Nike and history with Jordan.

Another person who encouraged Jordan to make the deal was his agent, David Falk, who had faith in UNC’s standout performance. Rob Strasser succeeded in changing Jordan’s mind in large part thanks to him. “When (Strasther) first showed off Jordan’s product, the Air Jordan concept, I just fell in love with him. I did meet Phil, who was obviously a much bigger player at that particular time. Rob Rob Strasser and all these people, these were the people I initially contacted,“Michael Jordan later revealed in an interview with USA TODAY Sports.

But thanks to Tim Thomas, we know that without Sonny Vaccaro, we wouldn’t have witnessed Jordan’s collaboration with Nike, nor Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant’s collaboration with Adidas. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments section below.

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