Golden State Warriors superstar Point Guard Stephen Curry will enter free agency, at least in terms of being a sneaker free agent that is. The sportswear brand Under Armour announced on Thursday that the company and the star player will end their 13-year partnership, but did not comment on what exactly led to the split between the two parties.
Curry’s Impact On Under Armour’s Basketball Division
After Curry had split with Nike back in 2013 due to a botched sales pitch by the sports giant, he signed with Under Armour. It has been a lucrative 13 years for both sides. During his 2015 and 2016 MVP-winning seasons with the Warriors, Under Armour saw the largest increase in stock price and sales within its basketball division ever. The Curry one, which was the first signature shoe released by Under Armour and debuted back in February of 2015, became the highest-selling basketball shoe in company history.
While there was plenty of initial success at the beginning of the partnership, recent sales struggles and production issues over the last few years with the Curry Brand may have led to the split. Those dwindling figures combined with the restructuring of Under Armour, which the company has said is aimed at cutting costs and putting more resources towards other divisions.
Where Does the All-Time Great Go From Here?
In their agreed-upon split, it was announced that Curry will maintain sole ownership over his brand, which was established back in 2020, and will continue to operate it independently wherever the two-time MVP goes. It is not yet known which brands are currently in talks to acquire the star, but it is widely expected that all of the major shoe companies will be at the negotiation table.
While the split is effective immediately, the company stated that it will still release the Curry 13 in February as planned, which will mark the final collaboration between the two.
