How Nike lost Steph Curry
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 28 Oct 2018
Nike has 11 of the 15 highest paid endorsement deals in sports, including contracts with LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, etc.
Reason why every NBA player?s dream is to be sponsored Nike. LeBron, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, had just signed a lifetime contract that is worth upwards of $1 billion.
Back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors, superstar Stephen Curry would have dreamt, too, being in the company of Woods, Jordan, Bryant et al in the distinguished list of endorsers of the world-famous sports apparel.
But why he isn?t?
Curry wore Nike products growing up and throughout his entire college career at Davidson.
When he was drafted 7th overall by the Warriors, no one ever doubted that he was going to sign with Nike.
Which he did, actually. . Nike signed him to a 4 year deal that lasted up until 2013.
In 2013, when Curry scored a career high 54 points at the Madison Square Garden, he wore Nike Zoom Hyperfuses. He saves that pair of sneakers to this day at his house to remember just how far his career has gone. It was his breakout year, setting the single season record for 3-pointers made in the process.
Following the end of his Nike contract in 2013 he was free to hear pitches from other companies, although Nike still owned the rights to match any deal that was made to him.
Nike set up a meeting with Curry and his father, former NBA player himself, Dell Curry, at the Oakland Marriott, the same building where the Warriors practiced. Steph was, of course, confused a bit why a company he?d already signed to would still make a pitch, especially since he was familiar with some of the people in the room.
As it turned out, Nike is structured as to have tiers of athletes. The top tiered athletes had preferential treatment, which included the likes of Bryant, James and Durant.
Once the meeting began, it was crystal clear to both Steph and his father that they weren?t a top priority to Nike and weren?t even close to being considered in the top tier of the company.
The entire presentation by Nike was poorly planned and made Curry appear as an afterthought to other big name athletes.
According to Curry?s father, Dell, the first sign of disrespect was when the Nike representative giving the presentation mispronounced Stephen?s first name, calling him Steph-On instead of Steph-En. And the worst part was, NO ONE else in the room representing Nike corrected him. But that wasn?t what turned Curry away from Nike forever, it was something much, much worse. (To be continued)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Boxlab Promotions Euri Cedeno and Carlos De Leon Castro Shine in San Juan Victories
Wed, 04 Feb 2026National Boxing Hall of Fame 2026 is set to April 26 in Montebello, California
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Wed, 04 Feb 2026Vito Mielnicki Jr. Returns Home to Defend WBC USA, IBF USBA and WBO Global Middleweight Championships Against Omar Ulises Huerta
Wed, 04 Feb 2026Noah Lucas Palcis sees action in Bangkok chess meet
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 04 Feb 2026Reymond Yanong Edges Out Hayato Ono for Split Decision Win in Japan
By Carlos Costa, Tue, 03 Feb 2026“I’m gonna smoke whoever is in front of me, Anthony Wright- Hearn makes his pro debut March 13 at Thunderdome 53
Tue, 03 Feb 2026Pacman's Cue Club Hosts J&P 10 Ball Cup from Feb. 4 to 7
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 03 Feb 2026Mt. Apo Boulder Face Challenge is back
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 03 Feb 2026WILDER AND CHISORA FACE OFF IN ICONIC TIMES SQUARE TO ANNOUNCE APRIL 4 HEAVYWEIGHT SHOWDOWN AT THE O2 LONDON
Tue, 03 Feb 2026World Boxing appoints Tom Dielen as new Secretary General
Tue, 03 Feb 2026Sullivan Management signs 19-1 power-punching Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga
Tue, 03 Feb 2026Another Grandeza in MMA is coming
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 03 Feb 2026Gracie meets Zubiri in PH
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 02 Feb 2026International Master Eric Labog Jr. rules FIDE rapid chess tourney
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 02 Feb 202676ers star Paul George has been suspended for 25 NBA games by doping
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 01 Feb 2026