Under Armour initially faced major challenges in the NBA world as it was dominated by companies like Nike and Adidas. The year 2015 was a turning point for the UA when their sales increased to an unbelievable $1.2 billion by the end of August surpassing Adidas. A large credit for this success might be because of their strategic signing of NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
Curry switched his partnership from Nike to Under Armour, he played an important role in the growth of the company. His 2015 NBA championship boosted the sales of his signature Under Armour Curry 2 sneaker. Under Armour continued its efforts to sign NBA players giving them a more personal partnership experience compared to its rivals (Nike and Adidas).
NBA players endorsed by Under Armour:
Player | Team |
Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
Patty Mills | Atlanta Hawks |
Bones Hyland | LA Clippers |
Damion Lee | Phoenix Suns |
Dennis Smith Jr. | Brooklyn Nets |
Last year in February the UA signed Bones Hyland in a multiyear deal. Apart from Curry and Hyland, the brand has also endorsed other NBA players such as Patty Mills, Damion Lee, and Dennis Smith Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets. Among them, only Curry has his signature shoes with the brand. Curry recently launched his 11th pair of sneakers, the “Curry 11”.
Curry 11 “Future Curry” are available now 👀 pic.twitter.com/v3STzjohyn
— De🅿️ressed Warriors Fan 💔 (@GoIdenState) October 13, 2023
Recently Joel Embiid, the star player of the Philadelphia Sixers concluded his five-year deal with Under Armour, their partnership was not very successful as the UA only made one signature shoe (Embiid one) for Joel Embiid, that too in 2020.
Under Armour recently conducted a basketball program in Atlanta
After a five-year break, the Under Armour Next Elite 24 basketball event made a notable return to the high school basketball world. This year the event was held at Atlantic State in Atlanta, Georgia, it featured 48 of the nation’s top young male and female basketball talents.
Previously the event was organized at iconic venues like Rucker Park in Harlem and Venice Beach in Los Angeles. This year was the 13th edition of this prestigious event. The 2023 roster was highlighted by an impressive mix of talent which included 27 players from the Class of 2024, 19 from the Class of 2025, and a duo from the Class of 2026. The boys were divided into Team Spawn and Team Futr, while the girls split up into Team Breakthru and Team Ascent.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT ⭐ Dylan Harper – Top Recruit in the Class of 2024 – at the Under Armour Elite 24 Event in Atlanta, GA. @dy1anharper pic.twitter.com/SD4GeUUhJF
— Fivestar (@fivestar_vids) August 21, 2023
Top 2024 prospects Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Flory Bidunga, and Ian Jackson were among those who captured the attention. There are speculations that Under Armour might sign deals with these promising stars, reaffirming their commitment to developing young talent and bolstering their presence in the basketball world.