Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has signed a new sneaker deal. After he ended his partnership with Under Armour last year, Curry has signed with Chinese company Li-Ning for a reported $400 million deal.
Reports suggest that other companies were in the mix with one offering Curry even more money than what Li-Ning had on the table. No one is naming the company, but it seems safe to assume that Nike dropped the ball yet again on Curry.
Nike blew it again with Stephen Curry shoe deal
Curry wore Nike shoes as a rookie and continued to wear them the first several years of his career. But when his deal was up in 2013, he left Nike for Under Armour because he felt he wasn't being made enough of a priority.
He also knew that by going to a brand like Under Armour that wasn’t as well known for being in the basketball shoe space, he could be the main guy rather than having to deal with other huge athletes like LeBron James at Nike.
It was a smart move from Curry, but Nike definitely has to feel like it’s dropped the ball twice now with the superstar guard. He even wore some Nike shoes during warmups this past season after his split with Under Armour, so he may have had some interest in a partnership yet ultimately didn't meet what he was looking for.
Now Curry is joining a brand that has players like Jimmy Butler. Maybe the fact that Butler and Curry have been teammates the last two seasons played a role in him going with a more obscure overseas brand.
Curry is hoping to stay healthier next season after injuries plagued him
No matter what, fans are just hoping Curry can stay healthier next season. While there probably isn’t some shoe that prevents knee injuries, the Warriors cannot have a repeat of Curry’s multi-month absence if they want to be competitive going forward.
Curry proved to everyone that he can still be as elite as anyone when he's healthy and on the floor, but keeping him out there is going to be of utmost importance for Golden State. If he can stay healthy the Warriors can at least talk themselves into thinking they have a chance at the No. 6 seed to avoid the Play-In tournament.
With Steve Kerr signing an extension, Curry could very well do the same as he's eligible for a two-year, $140 million extension later in the summer. While he will wear different shoes next year, the plan and hope is that he remains a Warrior for life.
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