Sonny Vaccaro is one of the most important figures in the sneaker world, and now his major professional endeavor will be the focus of the new film starring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

In the history of cinema, Affleck and Damon have long since left an indelible mark starting from Good Will Hunting, directed in 1997 by Gus Van Sant, for which they wrote the award-winning screenplay that earned an Oscar made even more precious by the one won for the same film by Robin Williams as Best Supporting Actor. A magical moment they have tried to recreate with various projects throughout their career.

Now could be the time for this magnificent duo to make a comeback. According to Variety, the actors, screenwriters, and producers are developing a new project together, in which they will tell the story of the man who was instrumental in Nike’s decision to start a collaboration with Michael Jordan, one of the most iconic athletes of all time.

Affleck will have the role of co-star, director, writer, and producer of the sports marketing drama—currently unnamed—while Damon will accompany him as the lead actor, writer, and producer.

Who is Sonny Vaccaro?

In the film, we know that Damon will play Vaccaro, while Affleck will portray Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike. The story’s plot focuses on the work orchestrated by Nike in the ’80s to sign Michael Jordan, who was on his way to becoming the greatest NBA player of all time with his feats on the court.

The agreement seemed impossible, but Nike persisted until they signed the most famous and successful partnership between a sports brand and a professional athlete. A union that paved the way for creating a legendary sneaker silhouette and led other brands to swiftly engage in similar ventures.

It was Vaccaro who pushed hard to secure Jordan, until he obtained what he so desired. His vision led him to meet Jordan’s parents, especially his mother, the champion’s former coaches, advisors, and friends in an attempt to gather strong allies to convince the athlete to put his signature alongside Nike’s top brass.

Who was this man? John Paul Vincent “Sonny” Vaccaro was not a sneaker designer but a teacher who discovered a boundless passion for sports and tennis.

Thanks to this, he changed careers to become the head of sports marketing for Nike, Inc. after joining the company in its fledgling stages. His goal was to help the brand breakthrough in college basketball, and eventually, he signed Michael Jordan for his first sneaker deal. Throughout his illustrious career, Vaccaro left Nike for Adidas and later settled at Reebok.

In the original business plan, Nike wanted to secure deals with Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton, but Vaccaro had his eyes set on Michael Jordan, whom he believed was more promising and full of potential. Thus, he persuaded the company to allocate the entire budget to one player, ultimately signing a $15 million contract for 5 years.

According to some communication experts, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and even Michael Jordan owe part of their commercial success to Vaccaro, who maximized the fortune of working with the best athletes ready to collaborate with sneaker brands both on and off the court.

It is likely that Jordan himself and other players will make an appearance in the film, although the production timeline is still unknown, and the names of the actors who could portray them in the biopic remain undisclosed. In the meantime, Damon and Affleck, after appearing together in The Last Duel by Ridley Scott, are working on the screenplay and advancing the final negotiations to materialize a project that could undoubtedly bring them once again on the path to clutching an Oscar.