Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, now in his 17th NBA season, recently made headlines with a major career decision.
Curry officially ended his longtime partnership with Under Armour, a brand that played a key role in developing his signature shoes and building one of the most popular athlete brands in professional sports.
When the news broke, Curry mainly spoke with gratitude about the experience, without revealing specifics behind the split, officially making him a sneaker free agent.
According to Sports Business Journal, Curry and his advisors “became frustrated by what they viewed as underinvestment” from Under Armour, which ultimately led to the mutual separation.
Interestingly, Curry reportedly tried to recruit Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark to join his brand prior to signing with Nike, but the offer “trailed the total value of Nike’s pitch,” something that contributed to Curry’s frustration.
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Within the last year or so, Curry had high hopes that the emergence of Under Armour founder & CEO Kevin Plank returned that the company would begin investing more into his line, but the two sides never saw eye to eye and the final Curry shoe is now set to be released in February. An end to a rather long and successful partnership that began back in 2013.
Curry is now one of the most high-profile names on the open market, thanks to his massive brand and global following. He has made it clear that he intends to test the waters, as evidenced by the variety of sneakers he’s been wearing recently, including the Nike Kobe 6 Mambacita, created in honor of the late Gianna Bryant.
Nike remains the dominant force in basketball footwear, making it difficult for any other company to match the potential value of a deal for Curry’s brand. However, according to SPJ, Curry has not yet received any formal offers or begun negotiations with any company and it could be quite the awkward encounter with Nike after they “bungled” a past deal with Curry.
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