Stephen Curry Signs Li-Ning Deal After Under Armour Split
Stephen Curry has signed an endorsement deal with Li-Ning after ending his 12-year under armour partnership last year. The 38-year-old point guard now has a new retail partner for his shoes and sportswear line, and Li-Ning gets a name that carries weight far beyond Asia.
The deal gives Curry and Li-Ning a new product pipeline, but the value was not immediately disclosed. For buyers and fans, the immediate change is simpler: Curry Brand is now tied to a Chinese company that already runs more than 7,000 shops across Asia and wants a clearer path into the US.
Curry Brand shops in China and US
Curry said the two sides will collaborate on new products and plan to launch his signature chain of shops in the US and China. He said, "We have plans to launch Curry Brand stores together in China and the US, as we look to build on the success that Li-Ning has already established, with even more growth," and described the arrangement as providing an "expanded runway of resources" for his basketball, golf and other portfolios globally.
Li-Ning now has a more prominent international face as it tries to widen its reach beyond Asia. Curry said the partnership will help the company expand in the US, which gives the deal a commercial aim that goes well beyond a standard shoe endorsement.
Li-Ning joins NBA rivals
This is Curry's first collaboration with a Chinese brand. He started his career with Nike before moving to Under Armour, and last year he became free to sign with another retail partner after ending that 12-year deal. The new arrangement also puts him in a growing group of NBA names tied to Chinese brands, including Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler with Li-Ning, plus Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving with Anta.
For Curry, the shift ends one long commercial chapter and opens another with a company that already has a large store base but still needs broader recognition in the US. For Li-Ning, the appeal is the opposite: a four-time NBA champion who is widely regarded as one of the best shooters in NBA history, and whose name can travel with the brand into markets where it has far less scale.
