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:
MIEL FAJARDO READY FOR YOHANA IN EXCITING WBO 112 GLOBAL TODAY IN TANZANIA
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024Today! Paciones, Yanong, Zamora, Soledad Ready for Action in Highland Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024LERASAN, KASSIM, MAKE WEIGHT FOR WBF 118 BELT IN TANZANIA
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024IIEE Metro Central scores 24-24 standoff versus IIEE Western Visayas in the 3rd D’ Engineers Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 26 Dec 2024Ortega wins Laguna chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 25 Dec 2024Paciones to fight Li in Bangkok on Dec. 26
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 24 Dec 2024Antonio Vargas Seeks Showdown with WBA Bantamweight Champion Seiya Tsutsumi
Tue, 24 Dec 2024FIGHTBOOK ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN EARLY 2025 AND OPENS PRE-REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL BOXERS
Tue, 24 Dec 2024IBA investigates possible integrity violations at the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Thailand
Tue, 24 Dec 2024NM Ilar rules 7th Nova Onas Rapid chess tilt
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 24 Dec 2024Where Have All THE Heavyweights Gone?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 23 Dec 2024World-Ranked Contenders Jayson Mama, Joey Canoy, and Esneth Domingo Scheduled to Return on December 27 in Kalamansig
Mon, 23 Dec 2024Beltran loses by KO in Japan
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 23 Dec 2024CATTERALL COLLIDES WITH BARBOZA JR AT CO-OP LIVE ON FEBRUARY 15
Mon, 23 Dec 2024Elite and Youth Champions Named to Conclude the 2024 USA Boxing National Championships
Mon, 23 Dec 2024