There are several reasons why Stephen Curry quit Nike back in 2013. This led the 4x NBA Champion to sign a deal with Under Armour. Recently, he cemented his partnership with the brand and AU will present $75 million in stock compensation to Curry. These are a few things Nike refused to offer the point guard back then. And chances are they’re probably regretting it now.
UPDATE: In a new SEC filing, Under Armour discloses that Stephen Curry has been awarded 8.8 Million stock shares – currently valued at $75 Million – as part of the new long-term Under Armour & Curry Brand partnership extension. https://t.co/SR7ZNoGQKV https://t.co/wCw9snfSq5 pic.twitter.com/ff2gEiiOhF
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) April 8, 2023
After spending four years in the league, Stephen Curry was ready to pair up with a brand. Nike was at the top of the list, for a very brief moment. Steph and his father, Dell, both attended the Nike presentation. According to Dell, the company did not respect Steph as much as it did others. They mispronounced his name, forgot to change the title of the presentation from Kevin Durant nor were they willing to offer him his basketball camps.
The real reason why Stephen Curry rejected Nike
Stephen Curry’s daughter, Riley, played a massive part in his decision to sign with AU. According to NBC Sports, Riley and her father were presented with three shoes from three different companies.
Steph asked her to choose between Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. Riley was still a toddler back then. She went on to toss Nike and Adidas over her shoulder which meant she didn’t like them. The last pair standing was Under Armour’s kicks. Steph claimed that he knew he had to pursue AU.
Besides the reasons stated above, Stephen Curry was on a mission of his own. Nike has been a massive brand that has signed superstar players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. These players had already established a massive name for themselves and had signature kicks as well. This would have made it hard for Curry to reach the levels of such superstars.
While speaking to Draymond Green on his podcast, the Golden State Warriors legend revealed he wanted to create a legacy of his own. He said, “In that part of my career, like building something from scratch, taking a chance to put my fingerprint on a brand from the ground up and have a company that was going to kind of invest in me… that was a huge opportunity.”
He also said that people tried to convince him otherwise but he was set firm in what he wanted. Stephen Curry believed he could create a strong legacy. Eight years after signing with AU, they gave him his line called Curry Brand. Steph could possibly develop a life-long deal with AU at this pace.