Just a year ago, Under Armour very nearly stole Kevin Durant away from Nike. And after Nike hilariously passed on two separate opportunities to land Steph Curry as an endorser, the Baltimore-based shoe and apparel company didn’t hesitate to sign the budding superstar. Today, it’s paying tremendous dividends.
After an MVP season that culminated in an NBA Championship, Steph’s “Curry One” is the brand’s best-selling product. This, combined with the fact that Under Armour just signed a deal to become the official sponsor of the NBA Draft Combine, has catapulted them past Adidas as the number two athletic shoe brand behind Nike.
Now, they’re sewing up Curry for the long-term. The company announced through a press release today that they’ve extended Curry’s contract though 2024. Here’s more from the official release.
“Stephen is a once-in-a-generation talent and has unprecedented influence on the game of basketball,” said Adam Peake, EVP, global marketing. “His work ethic, uncompromising self-belief, and commitment to the community are characteristics that make Stephen the perfect partner to ignite the growth of Under Armour in the sport of basketball and around the world. We are extremely proud to call Stephen family and we are excited to write the next chapter of our shared story.”
“In the first two years of our partnership, we accomplished so much both on and off the court, and I’m looking forward to being part of the brand’s story for the rest of my playing career and beyond,” Curry said via the release. “Together we share a passion for making athletes better and instilling self-belief in athletes everywhere. The entire team has done an amazing job to develop innovative product that performs on the court and build platforms that allow me to connect with athletes all over the world. The best is yet to come.”
The release didn’t specify the dollar amount of the deal, but it’s safe to speculate that it was a sizable increase from the bargain they got him for originally, which was less than $4 million a year. The contract reportedly also includes stake in the company. His next signature shoe, the Curry Two, has already been released in Asia and will hit the American market next month.
[Via Under Armour]
