Overview

The founding of Nike as told in Shoe Dog is only part of the story, it doesn't recognize the genius marketing coup that changed the fortunes of the company. The film ""Air"" highlighted Sonny Vaccaro's brilliant signing of NBA legend Michael Jordan to Nike as a rookie, but the movie's scope didn't include the beginning and everything that happened after the Jordan signing revolutionized sports marketing and entertainment. In Legends and Soles, Vaccaro reveals the rest of the story from a never-before-told insider's perspective. Written in collaboration with six-time New York Times bestselling author Armen Keteyian, Legends and Soles provides context and truth to the sensational media stories and headlines like: the Portland FBI investigation of Vaccaro instigated by Nike, Vaccaro's close relationships with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and Tracy McGrady, and the high stakes drama behind the O'Bannon lawsuit that changed the landscape for college sports. This book is a must read for sneakerheads, NBA fans, college sports enthusiasts, and readers who enjoy memoirs . You'll learn how Vaccaro tirelessly fought for the rights of college athletes and how his quiet suburban life suddenly ""went public"" again while doing Hollywood media interviews to support the film ""Air"" alongside Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. After reading, you'll walk away with a deeper appreciation and understanding of the shoe wars culture, and a key figure in the evolution of modern big-time sports.

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9780063423411

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Reviews

""Legends and Soles is a riveting narrative that describes first-hand Vaccaro's remarkable, quintissentially American journey from a self-described ""motormouthed extrovert and disruptor who managed to underachieve academically"" to one of the most influential sports marketers of all time, not to mention the person who is arguably most responsible for forcing the NCAA to usher in a new era of revenue sharing and athlete compensation."" - Seth Davis, Hoops HQ ""Sonny's had a lot of different lives in this business - he signed Michael, he signed Kobe, nearly signed LeBron, but what he did with Ed O'Bannon and taking on the NCAA is really his legacy because he paved the way to help players get paid. He helped usher in name, image and likeness - not without a fight."" - Dan Patrick, The Dan Patrick Show ""Maybe the most remarkable thing about Sonny Vaccaro is that after thousands of interviews, a documentary and a feature film about his one-of-a-kind basketball life and decades worth of news stories that connect him to some of the biggest milestones in American sports, he still has plenty of new stories to tell."" - Dan Wolken, USA Today

""Legends and Soles is a riveting narrative that describes first-hand Vaccaro's remarkable, quintissentially American journey from a self-described ""motormouthed extrovert and disruptor who managed to underachieve academically"" to one of the most influential sports marketers of all time, not to mention the person who is arguably most responsible for forcing the NCAA to usher in a new era of revenue sharing and athlete compensation."" - Seth Davis, Hoops HQ ""Sonny's had a lot of different lives in this business - he signed Michael, he signed Kobe, nearly signed LeBron, but what he did with Ed O'Bannon and taking on the NCAA is really his legacy because he paved the way to help players get paid. He helped usher in name, image and likeness - not without a fight."" - Dan Patrick, The Dan Patrick Show ""Maybe the most remarkable thing about Sonny Vaccaro is that after thousands of interviews, a documentary and a feature film about his one-of-a-kind basketball life and decades worth of news stories that connect him to some of the biggest milestones in American sports, he still has plenty of new stories to tell."" - Dan Wolken, USA Today

""Legends and Soles is a riveting narrative that describes first-hand Vaccaro's remarkable, quintissentially American journey from a self-described ""motormouthed extrovert and disruptor who managed to underachieve academically"" to one of the most influential sports marketers of all time, not to mention the person who is arguably most responsible for forcing the NCAA to usher in a new era of revenue sharing and athlete compensation."" -- Seth Davis, Hoops HQ ""Sonny's had a lot of different lives in this business - he signed Michael, he signed Kobe, nearly signed LeBron, but what he did with Ed O'Bannon and taking on the NCAA is really his legacy because he paved the way to help players get paid. He helped usher in name, image and likeness - not without a fight."" -- Dan Patrick, The Dan Patrick Show ""Maybe the most remarkable thing about Sonny Vaccaro is that after thousands of interviews, a documentary and a feature film about his one-of-a-kind basketball life and decades worth of news stories that connect him to some of the biggest milestones in American sports, he still has plenty of new stories to tell."" -- Dan Wolken, USA Today

Author Information

Sonny Vaccaro's visionary innovations continue to influence modern sports marketing. He is widely known for the signing of college coaches and later both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Vaccaro has had an unmistakable impact on sports and the cause of athletes' rights and empowerment at every level. He continues to be a voice in contemporary college sports issues from his home in California. Armen Keteyian is an eleven-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and the author or coauthor of six New York Times bestsellers, including The System and Tiger Woods. He lives in Connecticut.

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