For nearly three decades, Sonny Vaccaro had only told a few people that a unique memento of his long relationship with Michael Jordan had been wrapped up and hidden away in his wife’s closet.
Vaccaro, who pushed for Nike to sign Jordan coming out of North Carolina and revolutionized the sneaker industry in the process, had never asked for memorabilia from athletes. In fact, he even declined an offer from Jordan to attend a 1991 NBA Finals game in Los Angeles, preferring to watch Jordan’s first championship win from his home in Palm Springs.
But after the celebration was over, Jordan left a box for Vaccaro at the Ritz Carlton in Santa Monica; it contained a pair of black Air Jordans he had worn to start Game 4.