Vaccaro and basketball coach George Raveling had been close friends, to the point that Raveling was the best man at Sonny's second wedding.[5] Raveling had a falling out with Sonny over the business of summer high school basketball camps that Sonny ran.[5] Raveling became Sonny's competitor in the same position at Nike.[5]
Vaccaro was a key figure in the O'Bannon v. NCAA lawsuit, which allowed players to be compensated for appearances in video games.[6] Vaccaro helped to recruit Ed O'Bannon for the case.[7]
Legacy
An ESPN30 for 30 documentary about Vaccaro titled "Sole Man" aired on April 16, 2015.[8] The show was themed around the "corrosive effect of pumping so much marketing money into the college game."[9]
^Sole Man (2015) Sonny Vaccaro rose from Pennsylvania steel town roots to become one of the most powerful and influential men in the athletic shoe industry and in basketball.