Steph Curry explains Nike and Kobe Bryant move after 13-year partnership ends

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry wore a pair of Kobes on Friday to confirm his sneaker free agency after his 13-year Under Armour deal came to an end – for nowSteph Curry rocked a pair of Kobes before Friday night’s Warriors game(Image: Getty Images)

37-year-old Steph Curry, for the first time in 12 years, is a sneaker “free agent.” The longtime Golden State Warriors star pulled out of his deal with Under Armour last week in a move he said is “in the best interest of both parties.”

Curry is now free to workshop new brands, other than Under Armour, over the course of the NBA season. He still has a planned set of shoes to release with the brand in 2026.

Ahead of Golden State’s road NBA Cup matchup with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, Curry — in addition to paying tribute to a fallen hero — sported a pair of Kobe 7 Protro Mamacitas during pregame warmups.

“I know it’s weird seeing me in anything other than my own shoes,” Curry said postgame. “But just the idea of what he meant, I’ve talked about Kobe [Bryant] a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means”

“Other than that, it’s just something that I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute, and I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”

Perhaps the Kobes did provide Curry a lift. He scored 49 against the Spurs — his second straight game with over 45 points — in a Warriors win.

“I was blessed to have an unbelievable experience [with Under Armour] and take a chance on something that’s meant a lot to me over the last 13 years,” he said.

Steph Curry Curry has partnered with Under Armour for 13 years(Image: Getty Images)

“Extremely proud of myself, my team, everyone who was able to touch that business for that long, we all should be proud of what we were able to accomplish. Taking a brand and category that wasn’t really a thing before, to where we did. I’m excited about the future.

Curry was pitched heavily by Nike before signing with Under Armour.. Former Nike executive Nico Harrison, recently fired by the Dallas Mavericks, reportedly used a pitch eerily similar to the one the company used for Kevin Durant.

It’s claimed Nike executives mispronounced Curry’s name ‘Steph-on’ rather than ‘Steph-en’, before a slide show still contained Durant’s name rather than Curry’s.

“The sneaker industry is difficult; things change over time to the point where you give your best effort to make something sustainable,” he said about moving on from Under Armour. “A little disappointing with how it turned out….I think it’s the right thing for everyone.”

“For me to be able to take the opportunity with [the] Curry brand and what we’ve done and the community and what we’ve done with standing for something. ‘Changing the game for good’ is our tagline, and having something to show for it down the road, I’m excited about it. “

Steph Curry explains Nike and Kobe Bryant move after 13-year partnership ends

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