Phil Jackson, took over the coaching reins. According to former adidas executive Sonny Vaccaro, a man who witnessed Bryant's journey to hoop immortality, Jackson's presence and careful guidance ...

and how the company's Marketing VP Rob Strasser and CEO Phil Knight tasked basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro to find a new spokesperson for their shoes. Although they considered third draft ...

Drew Angerer/Getty Images Phil Knight co-founded Nike in 1964 and ... Ariel Fisher for The New York Times Sonny Vaccaro started organizing high school basketball all-star games in the 1960s.