CHEAT SHEET

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, February, 2007

The buzz

Mr. Sneaker is hanging up his high-tops.

Sonny Vaccaro, the Machiavellian figure often credited/blamed for the sneaker companies' sway in youth basketball, is leaving Reebok and, in essence, the shoe business.

Vaccaro, 67, announced last month that he is no longer running the influential ABCD All American Camp in Hackensack, N.J., or the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas - two important summer stops on the recruiting circuit.

While some believe the sneaker giant is leaving the industry because the recently acquired Reebok (by Adidas) will no longer fund his pet projects, Vaccaro said it's time for him to step back and pursue other interests.

Vaccaro may say he plans to write his memoirs or hit the speaker-for-hire tour, but his next...