After parting ways with long-term partner Under Armour late last year, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has found a new home for his brand.
On Monday, Chinese company Li-Ning announced it had inked announced a long-term partnership with Stephen Curry and Curry Brand, marking a new global chapter for the brand.
Li-Ning said in a statement that the partnership is built around long-term brand co-creation, multi-category performance product development, sports culture initiatives and a shared commitment to inspiring the next generation of athletes around the world.
The partnership will start with basketball and extend into golf and lifestyle, with plans to open Curry Brand stores in China and the U.S. as the brand expands its global footprint, the company added.
In a personal letter published today titled “The Future of Curry Brand,” the NBA star explained why this moment is “bigger than a shoe deal or signature series,” calling it “the partnership of a lifetime.”
“I couldn’t be more proud to build a long-term vision with Li-Ning that will fuel Curry Brand for years to come and unlock the full potential of this company on a global scale,” Curry wrote in the letter.
Curry added that tt was during his time playing in Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler’s sneakers that “he knew that Li-Ning could be the right partner that can deliver on the innovation and design” that he wants Curry Brand to stand for. “We’re already having tons of great conversations about how we can introduce Li-Ning’s level of innovation to more and more hoopers here in the U.S., that will help players of all levels elevate their game,” he wrote.
The partnership brings together two athlete-founded visions: Curry’s ambition to build his brand into a global sports company, and Mr. Li Ning’s legacy as an Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur and founder of one of the world’s leading sports brands.
For Curry, that shared foundation was key. He writes that he was drawn to Li-Ning not only because of the quality, comfort and performance of its shoes, but because the company is “truly about sport,” understands athletes and has the innovation to help Curry Brand thrive.
This news comes after a period of “free agency” for Curry after his long-term partnership with Under Armour unexpectedly ended in November after more than a decade. He has worn a variety of brands during the past several months.
Curry and Under Armour inked their partnership in 2013, and he had been viewed by consumers as one of the key faces of the brand. The standalone Curry Brand was launched in 2020 as an extension of the athlete’s longtime partnership with Under Armour. In addition to product, the business invested in youth sports and underfunded basketball programs.
