28 Sep Under Armour snags Stephen Curry from Nike
Under Armour is headquartered in Baltimore, but the sporting apparel giant sure does like Charlotte.
Charlotte native and NBA star Stephen Curry has signed an endorsement deal with Under Armour that makes him the face of the brand’s basketball branch, and he joins Bobcats guard Kemba Walker and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as Under Armour representatives with Charlotte ties.
Curry, the Golden State Warriors point guard who set the record for most 3-pointers in a regular season this year, had been a Nike athlete since joining the NBA in 2009. He was one of dozens of athletes representing Nike, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.
Nike and its subdivisions own the basketball footwear market. According to a Forbes report, Nike and Jordan Brand hold 92 percent of the market, with Under Armour making up 0.6 percent.
Under Armour has been known as a football brand with athletes such as Newton, New England quarterback Tom Brady and Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones. But the company is on the rise in basketball with athletes like Walker, Detroit guard Brandon Jennings, New York guard Raymond Felton and L.A. Clippers center DeAndre Jordan.
Curry, a former Charlotte Christian and Davidson standout, averaged 22.9 points per game last year, seventh best in the NBA.
He also signed an endorsement deal with MoGo Sport, a flavored mouthguard company. He will wear a lemonade-flavored mouthguard this season.