Archive March 26, 2025

A 19-year-old college basketball player launched a 16-foot winning shot with 15 seconds left before it would completely alter sports marketing.

Sonny Vaccaro, a marketing executive and grassroots promoter, was present that day. He would bet his job at Nike Sports on supporting this largely untested player because he was so impressed by what he saw.

Michael Jordan was that player.

not the current version of Jordan, though. Jordan was just a freshman when Vaccaro saw him score the shot that won the 1982 NCAA championship for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Jordan was only 21 years old and had never competed in the NBA when Vaccaro urged his bosses to spend their entire annual basketball endorsement budget on him. No one even mentioned his footwear.

Vaccaro claims that the youngster’s conviction for his talent was forged when he witnessed him shoot at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.

According to the 85-year-old, “That shot changed the world because of what Michael Jordan became.”

“I was persuaded when he fired the shot that he would fire at any shot in the world,” he said.

However, Vaccaro had to strike first.

In his memoir, Legends and Soles, he describes how, in order to persuade his superiors to risk taking a chance on a rising star, Converse were supporting household names like Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

By that time, Vaccaro had gained a thorough understanding of young players and established himself as a basketball insider. The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, the first all-star basketball game in a high school, was founded in 1964 at the age of 24.

Till 2007 the tournament featured a number of upcoming NBA stars, including Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant, Patrick Ewing, and Moses Malone.

In 1984, he also founded the ABCD basketball summer camp, an invitational program that attracted the nation’s top-ranked high school athletes.

However, Vaccaro claimed that he had to wait until the last minute before deciding to change the Jordan proposal.

Their bet changed the direction of the business, altered how basketball was perceived globally, and left a lasting impression on sneaker culture. In the 2023 film Air, Matt Damon plays Vaccaro, the story became well-known.

In 1984, Nike made a guaranteed $250, 000 for five years as well as a stake in Jordan’s own line of merchandise. The 21-year-old would become one of the world’s wealthiest athletes if he were the third pick in the same year’s NBA draft.

Jordan won six championships, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs, and a record 10 championships before moving on to become arguably the greatest NBA player ever.

His partnership with Nike also led to the transformation of the running shoe business from a small, niche business with a market cap of just under $30 billion (£23 billion) to a global behemoth with a monopoly over the NBA.

You wouldn’t even be talking about a Nike shoe company, according to Vaccaro, who holds his personal opinion.

The only agreement that altered the way Americans view basketball players and endorsements was. He had a strong magnetic pull.

Other people would hold up a shoe and say, “We wear this, I wear this,” while others held up endorsements from businesses. Michael was free to raise the shoe. He first wore the shoe before taking the shot.

Peter Moore’s Air Jordan shoe was the first to go on sale in 1985. Air Jordan footwear and accessories had already been sold for $100 million by 1986.

Vaccaro signed for Adidas America in 1993. He and his former employer fought for the signatures of the nation’s hottest up-and-coming NBA stars for the following ten years.

In 1996, a month before he entered the NBA straight out of high school, one of the coups Vaccaro managed to orchestralize was the signing of 18-year-old Bryant to a $5 million, five-year deal.

The marketer first met the aspiring NBA champion in 1994 when Vaccaro was given the chance to play at one of his ABCD camps.

Kobe reportedly lasted for a full week before rising to the top of my “gifted” list, writes he. No one terrifies Kobe when he competes against the top 160 Americans and a select few prospects from nations like China, France, Australia, Canada, and Russia.

Bryant apologized to Vaccaro at the end of the week for not having won the MVP award despite only being 16; what left a lasting impression on him?

He told BBC Sport, “I knew that this kid had that hidden thing: self-assurance, ambition, and drive.” I’ve never been around him in my life, and he was the most confident and outward-looking.

McGrady was set to join the NBA draft in 1997 as the Toronto Raptors’ ninth overall pick.

At the 1996 ABCD camp, McGrady had made an impression on the sports marketer, who would later become a seven-time NBA All-Star. He was almost exempt, however, after his school coach told Vaccaro not to deal with the youngster and kicked him off the team.

Because of the negative feedback, Vaccaro said, “We invited Tracy.” The entire camp had a profound impact during those five days. He was chosen as the camp’s top player. No one was aware of his name.

Several of these unexpected events appear to influence the story of Vaccaro’s life.

Willie Kirk wants a second chance after admitting to being in a relationship with a player and being fired as Leicester City Women manager.

The Women’s Super League club fired the 46-year-old on March 28, 2024 because he broke the team’s code of conduct.

The Scot hasn’t worked since August, but he is aware that what he did was wrong and is content with his relationship with the player. They have been living together ever since.

Aside from Manchester City and Arsenal, Kirk told BBC Sport, “I have applied for every WSL and Championship vacancy since I lost my job.” I never received a single interview.

In terms of what transpired at Leicester, I let myself down. I understand why clubs haven’t gotten involved, and I can see why some people will be upset.

“But in the end, I haven’t committed a serious crime,” I said. Although there is no jail term, it appears to have already been done.

Former manager of Everton, Bristol City, and Hibernian, Kirk has spent 14 years in the women’s game. For six months, he served Casey Stoney as Casey Stoney’s assistant at Manchester United.

He was the club’s director of football before taking over Leicester, and he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the field. He feels like he has unfinished business on the touchline.

Kirk expressed his desire to return to the game. “In whatever capacity, whether it be for the women’s game or the men’s game, I’m open to that.”

“I have not crossed all the boxes that I wanted to do to be a head coach and accomplish what I want to do.

Before being fired after the conclusion of an investigation, he missed three games.

In women’s soccer, personal relationships between players and coaches have been criticized as having the potential to cause a power imbalance in a team.

As long as there are no minors involved, they are legal, but they can still violate codes of conduct.

Every WSL club has its own code of conduct, and each club is required to employ a safeguarding officer.

“I signed the code of conduct like everyone else,” Kirk said. You are a role model for first-team managers, and that is why I have never claimed I shouldn’t have been fired.

“Five minutes before training, I was questioned about entering a meeting on Friday.

“Sometimes, I believe I should have denied it and put it to the grave,” he said. “I don’t believe that would have worked.” I made it known, and that was it.

When the relationship broke off with Kirk’s ex, the player injured himself. The club was informed shortly after the pair’s two international trips to Italy came together in February.

Kirk acknowledges that a distinction had been drawn, and claims that things would have changed if he had taken his time once more.

We had already called it off at the time of the investigation, Kirk recalls. We said, “We have taken this far, this is too close for comfort, we need to put this on hold until the end of the season, and then one of us leaves the club.” We can change this if we still feel this way.”

Kirk was terminated on a permanent contract, but the club found him guilty of gross misconduct and refused to pay any compensation.

He regrets how he left after only attending two games at Leicester.

Kirk hopes to be the last women’s football managers to establish a relationship with a player.

He claimed his dismissal was quite public. I hope that people will realize that this is impossible.

You never want to go through a year like I have been through, because I have learned a lot. Your personal life, your finances, your emotional well-being, and everything in between are affected by it.

Kirk has applied for roles abroad that would allow him to continue raising his four-year-old son with his ex-wife.

He would drop lower in the rankings for the right project if he hadn’t rejected international management. Although he knows the women’s game is where he wants to go, his chances for a fresh start may lie elsewhere.

I just want to continue to be a part of the game’s evolution, he said.

It gives the impression that if I enter the men’s game, I will be allowed to go on my job, I won’t be discriminated against, and it will be a clean break.

Kirk is disappointed, but he is optimistic that a club will soon offer him another chance.

When will it be accepted, he said, “It will never be acceptable, but it will never be? ” Although it’s obvious that I’m trying to find a job, the statistics indicate that no good manager is working.

Which football team in Britain has the most players in the world?

The one with the most medals, perhaps? The one with the most money and the most popular social media page? Which position in the average league, the largest stadium, or the best? Or perhaps all of those things make up the happy medium.

It’s a debate nobody can win, one we all have a different perspective on, and one that will offend everyone regardless of how convincing their argument may be.

About 250 of BBC Sport’s staff members in the UK recently posed the unanswerable question in order to bring the most urgent of serious subjects to life.

There were numerous arguments. Additionally, there are many unhappy people.

However, we ended up with the lists on average and placed them in the top ten below.

Is in agreement with it? You don’t, of course.

Clubs are regarded as big if they win in the past.

Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers are the ones who have won more silverware than any other team in the English game when it comes to major trophies.

Manchester United is a close second and Liverpool are the most prosperous club in England, and the Reds look set to win the record 20 top flight titles this season.

Arsenal leads the FA Cup standings, while they also have the most European titles in the country.

Manchester City has recently risen in the rankings, claiming six of their past seven Premier League titles and a historic Treble in 2022-23.

Some of the more conventional people may dismiss social media followings as a marketing gimmick.

However, it does provide a good sense of how popular clubs are both locally and globally, as well as their ability to draw in fans.

Manchester United has the most popular social media accounts across all four major platforms, while other teams perform better on individual platforms.

Tottenham are sixth overall, but have the best Tik Tok following of any club, despite having a lower combined social following than their city rivals, while Manchester City perform better overall.

Is money really all that important? Manchester City is the clear choice if you believe it to be true.

City made the most money in 2023-24 of any English club, surpassing Real Madrid by £708 million, according to a study from Deloitte’s Money League.

Manchester United is the best team in the world if big club means big stadium to you.

Old Trafford is the biggest club stadium in the world, with 90, 000 seats at the moment, and United has also announced plans to construct a new, $ 2 billion, 100, 000-seater stadium close to Wembley.

When Manchester City start operating next season with a capacity of 52, 888, Bramley Moore Dock Stadium’s new stadium, which will increase its capacity to 61, 474, will be ranked seventh in the top ten.

Consistent play is essential in football.

And Manchester City has been exactly that for the past ten years. Their average league position is impressive at 1.7, with the six titles they have won, including a record four in a row.

There is hardly anything in the chase pack that leaves Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Chelsea in their respective average finishing positions.

Everton, Crystal Palace, and West Ham have all consistently finished mid-table over the years.

Many people might be surprised to see Leicester City in the top 10 after a year in the Championship. They are also credited with their incredible 2015-16 title victory.

Because Celtic and Rangers do not compete in the Premier League, they are not included in the above table, but Celtic have won nine of their past ten championship seasons.

Use the ranked list below to make your voice known.

Every club that appeared in any of the top ten lists above has been listed, and you must now decide how to arrange them, starting with the ones you believe to be the biggest.