Inside Story of Curry and Under Armour Split: Dissatisfied with Their Commitment, Recruiting Clark with an Offer Lower than Nike’s

On November 25th Beijing time, several media sources reported on Curry’s split with Under Armour, unveiling the inside story behind the termination of their partnership, as follows—

According to Bloomberg journalists Bassen and Williams, who referenced insiders,Curry and his team were displeased with Under Armour’s lack of sufficient commitment, coupled with the basketball line’s sales falling short of the company’s and Curry’s anticipated targets, resulting in a mutual decision to terminate the partnership.

Sources revealed thatone of Curry’s main frustrations was Under Armour’s approach when recruiting the fervent guard Caitlin Clark to join his personal brand last year—Curry and his team had vigorously pursued this prodigious player, but Under Armour’s offer was lower than the total amount proposed by Nike.

After Under Armour’s founder and CEO Kevin Plank returned to his leadership position early in 2024, reports suggested Curry had hoped Plank would increase investment in his personal product line. According to the termination agreement, there remain unfinished collaborations: the company will release the final Curry signature shoe in February.

Currently, Curry presents a rare partnership opportunity for top global sports brands. Industry insiders indicate that with this potential opportunity now open, mainstream basketball brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma are expected to proactively approach him. However, there are reports thatCurry has not yet engaged in discussions about any potential new sneaker deals with any brand.For Nike, future negotiations may be somewhat awkward — the brand previously missed opportunities in its cooperation with Curry. Nonetheless, Nike still dominates the basketball market and has signed many top athletes. Meanwhile, Adidas has also made significant progress on the court.

San Francisco reporter Danny Emmert wrote that since the expiration of his contract with Under Armour, Curry has used pre-game warm-ups as a chance to test other brands, enjoy himself, and pay tribute to classics. Experts have outlined several possible paths for Curry: a highly unlikely reunion with Nike; signing with second-tier brands that have basketball divisions like Adidas or New Balance; partnering with Chinese brands; or maintaining the independence of the Curry brand.Lauren Anderson, director of the Warsaw Sports Business Center at the University of Oregon, stated that the least likely scenario is Curry running the Curry brand entirely on his own.

Industry experts also consider Nike an improbable next step — the brand holds over 80% market share in basketball shoes and does not need Curry as much as other brands seeking rapid growth. Adidas or New Balance might be more natural fits; Chinese brands Anta and Li Ning could potentially offer Curry the most lucrative upfront deals. If Curry follows the example of tennis great Roger Federer’s partnership with On, he might choose a relatively niche brand — possibly one not yet involved in basketball. Additionally, rumors suggest Puma may be up for sale; perhaps the Curry brand could help enhance its value and revive its status.

ANDSCAPE reporter Allen Dodson pointed out that Curry’s NBA career earnings have exceeded $470 million (including $59.6 million salary for the 2025-26 season), theoretically giving him the financial capacity to cover all or most operational costs of his own sneaker business. Should this future Hall of Famer decide to operate the Curry brand independently, he would join Celtics forward Jalen Brown and Magic forward Jonathan Isaac as one of the few NBA players who design, produce, and promote their own signature basketball shoes — brands owned, funded, and run by themselves.

GQ reporter Trey Dean wrote that Curry should have had a better experience in the sneaker world. It must be said, Under Armour’s Curry signature shoes are not cool: while their performance technology is reliable, the shoe designs and colorways are mostly mediocre or even unattractive, hardly reflecting Curry’s charismatic personality and dominant presence on the court.It is no exaggeration to say that Curry’s relationship with his Under Armour line might be the biggest gap between an athlete’s on-court reputation and the reception of their signature sneakers in the sports world.This generation of NBA superstars largely came during the weakest era in signature sneaker history — brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour have all performed poorly in creating shoes that truly capture the talents and charisma of these players.