Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry raised eyebrows when he showed up to the San Antonio Spurs game wearing Nike Kobe 6s during warmups. It came just a day after ending his 13-year partnership with Under Armour, sparking questions about his next move.
In the post-game press conference, Curry addressed the room when asked about wearing Nike shoes before the game.
“I’m a free agent, I’m out here with new beginnings. I was blessed to have an unbelievable experience to take a chance on something that meant a lot to me over the last 13 years,” Curry said, via Anthony Slater of ESPN.
The Warriors star didn’t hold back when discussing what the Under Armour partnership meant to him. He highlighted how they built something from scratch in basketball.
“I’m extremely proud of myself, my team, everybody who was able to touch that business for that long. We all should be proud of what we were able to accomplish in taking a basketball brand or brand and category that wasn’t really a thing before to where we did. But I’m excited about the future,” he added.
“I’m a sneaker free agent.”
From Steph Curry himself after warming up in Nike Kobe VI Mambacitas 🗣️
(via @anthonyVslater)pic.twitter.com/9GFDWlxUlQ
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The sneaker moment came before Curry torched the Spurs for 49 points, his second straight 40-point game against San Antonio. His explosive performance helped him join Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players 37 or older to record back-to-back 40-point games.
When pressed about why the partnership ended now, Curry kept it straightforward. He pointed to the challenging nature of the sneaker business and how things naturally evolve.
“Just in the best interest of both parties. The sneaker industry is difficult, and like I said, things change over time and to the point of you give your best effort to create something sustainable,” he explained.
Curry admitted there was disappointment in how things wrapped up, especially considering Curry Brand’s progress over the past five years. But he remains focused on the bigger picture and what comes next.
The four-time NBA champion now owns Curry Brand independently and can explore new manufacturing partnerships while maintaining the social impact work that defined the brand.
