For NBA players, a signature shoe deal isn’t just about footwear—it’s about legacy. Icons like Michael Jordan with Air Jordan and Kobe Bryant with Nike have turned their names into global emblems through their partnerships. Yet, the business of basketball shoes is often as competitive as the game itself, with players even switching brands to carve their own paths. Remember Dwyane Wade’s “unthinkable” decision to leave the Jordan brand in 2012?

His reason? “I was looking for a brand where I wanted to be a little bit more on the partnership side than just the athlete endorsement side… I’m looking for somewhere I can build a legacy in this sneaker world.” Li-Ning gave him exactly that—a platform to create something truly his own. It was the company that “allowed me to come in, start my own brand, get into the creative side, be the creative director of my brand.” That leap of faith – jumping from Nike’s Jordan brand to Li-Ning – landed him a lifetime partnership. Another player most certainly heading that way? Stephen Curry.

In an interview with Bloomberg’s Emily Chang, it was revealed that one of the executives from Nike had earlier stated that if Curry stayed with the brand, that partnership could have become a “monster.” But the Golden State Warriors Champion, reflecting on his departure, stood by his reasons for leaving, hinting at deeper motivations than just business.

“There’s a reason I’m not there. I’ve always been an underdog. 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 turning it into the Curry Brand and the success that we’ve had, I’m super proud of that to be honest,” said Curry during the interview.

“The fact that I took a chance and wanted to create something of my own – and sitting where I am right now – that speaks way more than what could’ve been with Nike.” The point guard’s association with Nike started during his time at Davidson College in North Carolina, where he used to wear the sports brand’s shoes. Nike eventually signed Curry on a four-year deal after he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009. However, a blatant mistake by the brand lost Curry to Under Armor.

The shift reportedly stemmed from a series of missteps by Nike, which was revealed by his agent, Jeff Austin. They included a presentation error where Curry’s name was mispronounced as Stephon and the use of a recycled slide deck originally prepared for Kevin Durant, which made it awkward for both Curry and his father, Dell Curry. These lapses suggested a lack of focus and respect, prompting Stephen Curry to seek a partner who valued his vision and identity.

“In the Under Armour case, I didn’t push, but I let them know that I prefer Under Armour for a number of reasons. Part of which was the Nike pitch meeting was fraud and mistakes,” said Austin in his appearance on Steph’s Heat Check podcast. Under Armour gave Curry something Nike didn’t: a platform to build his own legacy. The Curry Brand, launched in 2020, wasn’t just a line of shoes but an extension of Curry’s personality and values and also promised a more philanthropic vision as a percentage of all Curry Brand’s yearly revenue will get invested in under-resourced communities to create safe places to play.

Stephen Curry’s gamble, just like Dwyane Wade’s, paid off. Under Armour’s stock saw significant growth during Curry’s rise to superstardom, particularly during his unanimous MVP season in 2016, and the debut sneaker, UA Curry 1, was widely received by the fans in 2015 after it gained fame when Jamie Foxx promoted it in an epic advertisement.

“Curry Brand is all about doing good in everything that we do. I’ve tried to embody that in my own actions, and I think it’s also something that other people can really get behind no matter where they are in life or what their goals are, sports or otherwise. We all have the ability to impact the next person and to give back in some way, and that’s more important now than ever before,” said Curry once in an interview.

Currently, the Curry Brand earns around $250 million in annual sales, so the Nike executive’s claim that Curry could have been a “monster” for the brand definitely holds some truth. As the Curry Brand continues to grow, it’s clear that his choice wasn’t just a business decision—it was a defining moment in his career. Moreover, this isn’t the only thing Curry revealed about his brand; he also shed some light on how his brand compares to another – the Jordan brand.

Stephen Curry on his competition with Michael Jordan’s brand

When Michael Jordan launched the Jordan brand in 1997, it marked a turning point in the fusion of sports and business. Jordan’s dominance on the court was matched by the meteoric rise of his $7 billion brand, cementing his legacy beyond basketball. However, while other players wanted to match the greatness of His Airness, Curry had a different narrative for his brand.

During the same interview, Chang had asked the Warriors’ point guard if he ever wanted to match Air Jordan’s greatness but the 36-year-old already had an answer in mind. “My version of that in the sense of he set the standard, and then everybody’s in the comparison game of his career on the court and obviously, what Air Jordan means, you know, culturally on court as well… What we’ve learned over the past four years doing what we do is that this is a marathon. We can have some success on a high level that mirrors the Jordan brand but does it in a way that’s authentic to what I stand for,” said Curry.

This revelation by the Warriors star comes months after the Curry Brand launched its first store in China, claiming its first steps in globalization. While the Golden Boy is aware of the legacy started by Jordan, he is staying committed to blending his legacy with business-savvy positions, which marks him as a strong contender.