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Golden State Warriors Rumors: Stephen Curry almost left Under Armour

By Nathan Beighle

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles after game against the LA Clippers on January 10, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 10: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors smiles after game against the LA Clippers on January 10, 2020 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2020 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Golden State Warriors’ phenom Stephen Curry almost left Under Armour in 2018, a potentially catastrophic event for the apparel behemoth.

Stephen Curry has turned into a global icon. The Golden State Warriors’ seventh-overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft struggled to start off his career. it certainly didn’t stay that way though.

Curry’s fame really started during the 2015-2016 season.

Entering with two All-Star appearances, Curry and the Warriors erupted. Curry notched over 30 points per game and the Warriors lost just nine games during the regular season despite allowing the Cavaliers to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.

Curry also set the record for most threes made in a season. It was his continued dominance over the next few seasons that helped result in two MVPs and three rings for the star guard.

Well, with that type of success comes endorsement deals.

Curry is an Under Armour athlete, but just about 18 months ago, he almost left the brand. The New York Times’ Julie Creswell and Kevin Draper went into detail on the situation at hand.

"In the summer of 2018, two top Under Armour executives traveled to the West Coast on a critical mission. Kevin Plank, the sports apparel company’s founder and chief executive, and Patrik Frisk, its president and chief operating officer, needed to persuade Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors star and the company’s highest-profile endorser, not to leave the brand.Mr. Plank was unhappy that Mr. Curry, whose endorsement deal pays him millions of dollars a year, would rarely wear Under Armour clothing to N.B.A. games. Mr. Curry was upset that sales of the signature Curry 3 shoe had been weak."

On top of these issues, Plank’s support of President Donald Trump seemed to rub Curry the wrong way. Yet, at the end of the day, the two were able to mend their minute feud before it escalated into something that would’ve changed the apparel world.

Curry, who is making about $20 million annually off his endorsement, could easily have left for Nike or potentially even Addidas. However, he opted to continue help strengthen the UA brand, being influential in recruiting Joel Embiid according to NBC Sports’ Drew Shiller.

Top 25 Golden State Warriors in franchise history. dark. Next

An icon in both the NBA and around the US, Curry’s set to return to action on March 1. The superstar has missed the bulk of this season after going down with a broken left hand in the fourth game of the season.

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