In 2013, Stephen Curry, who plays for the Golden State Warriors, signed a lifetime contract with Under Armour, ditching Nike. He earned $4 million per year, which ultimately increased to $20 million per year, according to NBC Sports.
The four-time NBA champion has evolved with the brand over the years, and in 2020, Under Armour launched the Curry Brand. In 2023, he was named president of the Curry Brand; it was reported that he will supply new products in areas such as basketball, golf, women, youth, and sports style.
Under Armour’s contract with Curry requires him to stay involved in all elements of the brand even after his playing days are over, similar to Nike’s lifetime deals with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Curry and Under Armour have so far launched over 10 signature shoes together.
“If the past 10 years have shown me anything, it’s that Under Armour and I can build great things together. In 2013, we bet on each other, and I’m all in on taking this next step together,” Curry remarked last year.
Fast forward to 2024, the NBA star, reflecting on his decision to sign for Under Armour over Nike, told Boardroom, “It’s kind of my mentality, and when I joined Under Armour back in 2013, the basketball roster was pretty slim, and basically starting the category from scratch.
“So to be a signature athlete for the seven, eight years that I was there to then turn it into a Curry brand and the success that we’ve had, I’m super proud of that, to be honest. But the fact that I took a chance and wanted to create something on my own and sitting where I am right now, that speaks way more than saying, you know, what could have been with Nike,” he said.
Curry left Nike for Under Armour in 2013 after a failed pitch meeting. Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN wrote the following about the meeting:
The pitch meeting, according to Steph’s father Dell, who was present, kicked off with one Nike official accidentally addressing Stephen as “Steph-on,” the moniker, of course, of Steve Urkel’s alter ego in Family Matters. “I heard some people pronounce his name wrong before,” says Dell Curry. “I wasn’t surprised. I was surprised that I didn’t get a correction.”
It got worse from there. A PowerPoint slide featured Kevin Durant’s name, presumably left on by accident, presumably residue from repurposed materials. “I stopped paying attention after that,” Dell says. Though Dell resolved to “keep a poker face,” throughout the entirety of the pitch, the decision to leave Nike was in the works.
