- Dec 13, 2018
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Sonny Vaccaro auctioning off one-of-a-kind Michael Jordan shoes to expose 'the lie'
For Sonny Vaccaro, “The Last Dance” was the last straw.
The man who pushed for Nike to sign Michael Jordan coming out of North Carolina remains hurt and bitter over his omission from ESPN’s 10-part documentary last summer.
Hoping to prove that he played an instrumental role in Jordan’s rise from coveted prospect to cultural phenomenon, Vaccaro is putting a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia up for auction. He’s selling a pair of autographed black Air Jordan VIs that the Chicago Bulls legend presented him as a gift after wearing them to start Game 4 of the 1991 NBA Finals.
In a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday, the 81-year-old Vaccaro said that he originally wanted his grandkids to inherit the shoes after he died. When asked what changed his mind, Vaccaro said he wants to push back against Nike’s attempts to erase him from Jordan’s story and described being left out of “The Last Dance” as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“That’s the reason the shoe is being sold,” he said. “I can’t allow these lies to perpetuate and take hold.”
Goldin Auctions and Sotheby’s announced Tuesday that bids for Vaccaro’s sneakers are open and will close on Dec. 7. According to Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin, the shoes are the only game-worn Jordan sneakers on the market from any NBA Finals and could fetch as much as $500,000 to $700,000.
For Sonny Vaccaro, “The Last Dance” was the last straw.
The man who pushed for Nike to sign Michael Jordan coming out of North Carolina remains hurt and bitter over his omission from ESPN’s 10-part documentary last summer.
Hoping to prove that he played an instrumental role in Jordan’s rise from coveted prospect to cultural phenomenon, Vaccaro is putting a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia up for auction. He’s selling a pair of autographed black Air Jordan VIs that the Chicago Bulls legend presented him as a gift after wearing them to start Game 4 of the 1991 NBA Finals.
In a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday, the 81-year-old Vaccaro said that he originally wanted his grandkids to inherit the shoes after he died. When asked what changed his mind, Vaccaro said he wants to push back against Nike’s attempts to erase him from Jordan’s story and described being left out of “The Last Dance” as “the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
“That’s the reason the shoe is being sold,” he said. “I can’t allow these lies to perpetuate and take hold.”
Goldin Auctions and Sotheby’s announced Tuesday that bids for Vaccaro’s sneakers are open and will close on Dec. 7. According to Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin, the shoes are the only game-worn Jordan sneakers on the market from any NBA Finals and could fetch as much as $500,000 to $700,000.
Sonny Vaccaro auctioning off one-of-a-kind Michael Jordan shoes to expose 'the lie'
Hoping to prove that he played an instrumental role in Michael Jordan’s rise from coveted prospect to cultural phenomenon, Sonny Vaccaro is putting a one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia up for auction.
www.yahoo.com