Stephen Curry’s time with Under Armour has come to an end. The American sportswear brand struck diamond when they signed Curry in 2013, who after choosing to leave Nike after what was essentially a show of disrespect on the Swoosh’s side, began his ascent as one the most influential players in the history of the NBA.
Under Armour went to work rather quickly, launching a signature shoe a year after the partnership was made official. It just so happened to be the same year Curry won his first NBA Championship and league MVP. The instant success of the Curry One proved that there was business to be done outside of Nike Basketball; his debut signature shoe was the hottest thing on the basketball shoe market, and by replicating the blueprint laid out by the Swoosh, Under Armour beat Nike in its own game through a consistent arsenal of strong colorways, timed releases, and rich storytelling.
So how did Nike lose Steph Curry? Steph was signed to Nike since coming into the league in the 2007 NBA Draft. When his contract was coming to an end in 2013, the Curry camp and Nike came together for a standard pitch meeting with hopes of renewing the partnership. In what is regarded as the worst blunder in the history of sports marketing/partnerships in the athletic sportswear industry, Nike fumbled the Top-10 player due to a sh*t-show of a pitch highlighted by an all-too-common brain-fart that occurs in the corporate world. Whoever was in charge of that Powerpoint presentation forgot to swap out another athlete’s name for Steph, essentially putting in writing that the Swoosh didn’t see much in Curry beyond being a Player Exclusive-level threat. Other athletes that fell into that category are De’Aaron Fox (left for Under Armour), Tyrese Haliburton (left for Puma), and Klay Thompson (left for ANTA).
Why did Under Armour and Steph Curry part ways? Simply put, Under Armour was looking to cut down on costs and restructure financially. In 2020, Steph Curry and Under Armour founded Curry Brand in a deal worth close to $1-billion with the potential for a lifetime partnership. Not five years later, the union as come to an end. Curry Brand acts more as a basketball organization than a standalone shoe brand, so the costs to pay Steph and cover marketing costs were high while the returns were likely limited. Under Armour wasn’t exactly capable of carrying Curry’s impact and significance to the game to market; they’re a much, much smaller machine than Nike and even adidas and never once did an Under Armour Curry sneaker ever sniff the lifestyle market.
Will Steph Curry sign with Nike? Now that Curry is essentially a sneaker free agent, Stephen Curry would have to partner with a manufacturer to bring Curry Brand product into market. Of course, Nike fans would love to see the two rekindle the partnership and deliver product that hoop fans were essentially deprived of for over a decade. This Nike Hyperfuse Player Exclusive, game-worn and signed by Steph himself, is just a reminder of those good ‘ol days and it doesn’t need to be said that a Nike Curry signature shoe line will go down as the biggest “what if” in the history of the 21st century. If you do want to own a piece of rare Nike x Stephen Curry history, check out this auction from Grey Flannel Auctions.
Game-worn/Autographed Nike Hyperfuse PE Grey Flannel Auctions
Game-worn/Autographed Nike Hyperfuse PE Grey Flannel Auctions
Game-worn/Autographed Nike Hyperfuse PE Grey Flannel Auctions
Game-worn/Autographed Nike Hyperfuse PE Grey Flannel Auctions
When did Steph Curry sign with Nike?
Curry was a Nike athlete since he was drafted in 2009. He had stayed with Nike until his contract ended in 2013. During this time with Nike, Steph wore Player Exclusive colorways of the brand’s in-line models including the Nike Hyperfuse, Nike Hyperdunk, and more. While he had his own Player Exclusive logo, Curry never had a Nike signature shoe.
Why did Steph Curry leave Nike?
Steph Curry left Nike for a number of reasons. In 2013, Curry’s camp and Nike were in talks to renegotiate a new deal. During the official presentation by Nike, they had mispronounced his name and re-used a similar presentation for Kevin Durant and accidentally forgot to swap out his name. Former Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison served as VP of Nike Basketball at the time and was present at the meeting. On the business side, Nike’s offer was not as attractive as Under Armour’s; Nike offered $2.5 million annually, while its American rival offered $4 million annually and signature shoe deal. At the time, Nike’s signature shoe business was quite crowded with names like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
Why did Steph Curry leave Under Armour?
Steph Curry and Under Armour parted ways after a thirteen-year partnership. It was part of a business restructuring for Under Armour, whose annual costs to operate Curry’s signature shoe line and Curry Brand cost more thn the amount of money it brought in. Under Armour confirms that the Curry 13 signature shoe will still launch in February 2026 and run through October. Steph owns full rights to Curry Brand and the logo.
What brand will Steph Curry go to?
Currently, Steph Curry is what we call a “sneaker free agent,” which means he is not contractually obligated to wear any sneaker brand. In his first game after this announcement, Curry was seen wearing the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” during pre-game shoot-arounds, but wore the Under Armour Curry 12 signature shoe during the game.
