Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has signed a 10-year, $400 million endorsement contract with Chinese sports apparel company Li-Ning, industry sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, ending a drawn-out recruitment process following Curry’s departure from Under Armour in November.
Curry announced the end of his sneaker free agency Monday with a landmark deal at Li-Ning that expands his Curry Brand venture globally. The agreement will include basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, the ability for Curry to sign athletes under his brand, and a full golf line.
Li-Ning and several other Chinese companies have been identified by the U.S. government and human rights groups as using forced labor to produce their goods. Li-Ning merchandise was banned in the United States in 2022.
Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who co-chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said Tuesday that he plans to ask the Department of Homeland Security to examine Li-Ning imports.
“Steph Curry is one of the most talented and watched basketball players in the world, which is exactly why this matters,” Smith said in a statement provided to ESPN. “The NBA, its players, and sites like Amazon cannot suggest that they stand for social justice at home while cashing checks from companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party’s forced-labor economy.”
Curry opted for Li-Ning over other pitches from American and foreign companies despite similar financial commitments, including at least one brand that offered more, sources said. One factor in Curry’s ultimate decision was his comfort while testing the shoes of two Li-Ning signature athletes: Jimmy Butler, his fellow Warriors teammate, and Dwyane Wade.
Li-Ning plans to build Curry Brand stores in the United States and in China. Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin, finalized negotiations in recent days.
The partnership was announced on social media Monday, but terms were not disclosed.
Curry split from Under Armour after a 13-year partnership, announcing a mutual divorce in November and expressing gratitude despite what industry sources said was growing frustration about the underinvestment from a brand decreasing in valuation.
Curry immediately sparked a high-profile recruitment during a Warriors road trip in San Antonio, wearing Nike Kobe 6 “Mambacita” sneakers to warm up pregame and shuffling through a number of various brands over the proceeding months.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater contributed to this report.
