30 for 30: 'Sole Man' TV Schedule, Preview for ESPN's Sonny Vaccaro Documentary

There was only one Sonny Vaccaro. 

The man who helped to forge the relationship between the shoe industry and basketball has long been a key figure behind the scenes in basketball culture. But that is no longer the case, as ESPN's famous documentary series, 30 For 30, will be highlighting Vaccaro in a 90-minute film.

Below, you'll find the broadcast schedule for the premiere and a preview of the documentary. 

When: Thursday, April 16 at 9 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN 

Preview

The above video is one of six chapters ESPN Films: 30 For 30 has released on its YouTube page, so you can also watch the full documentary online. 

Vaccaro is a fascinating individual. He was a huge figure in the shoe industry specifically, helping to make shoe deals and endorsements a staple of basketball. In particular, he signed Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, John Thompson of Georgetown and Jerry Tarkanian of UNLV to shoe deals in the 1980s that put Nike's shoes on the feet of some of the best players in the college game and launched the sport's relationship with signature shoe deals that would eventually hit the NBA.

But there was so much more. He signed Michael Jordan to Nike, helped to create basketball camps for high school players (and players even younger than that) that were sponsored by Nike, signed Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady to Adidas after leaving Nike and became a staple in the Ed O'Bannon case against the NCAA.

Directors Jon Weinbach and Dan Marks spoke about why they were excited to make the film, per ESPN:

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Whether you've known Sonny for five minutes or five decades, he is one of the most charismatic and memorable people on the planet. He is both interesting and relentlessly interested -- a "quick" conversation with Sonny rarely lasts less than 30 minutes, and he'll schmooze effortlessly about everything from 70s rock 'n roll (don't get him started on Grand Funk Railroad) to Kobe Bryant's jump shot to the vagaries of antitrust law.

The scope of Sonny's life and career in the sports business is massive, which made this film more fun and more challenging. Beyond his lucrative professional relationships with Nike founder Phil Knight and NBA icons like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Sonny's story is significant because he forged the link between the sneaker industry and basketball -- and helped invent a whole new era of sports celebrity.

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Indeed, every time an NBA player launches their own signature shoe or signs a lucrative endorsement deal with a company like Nike, Adidas or Reebok, they partly have Vaccaro to thank. While his role later in life has changed, as he's since become an advocate for protecting amateur players, he'll always be remembered for how he changed the business of basketball and marketing. 

If that fascinates you, Vaccaro's story is absolutely worth watching. Weinbach and Marks were making their directorial debuts with this film, but they each worked on Straight Outta L.A. (another 30 For 30 documentary) and The Other Dream Team, so Vaccaro's story is in experienced hands.