Nike, the shoe company leading the industry with its Jordan and LeBron lines, apparently made a mistake in letting Steph Curry, who is considered today’s best athlete, go free and be signed to rival company Under Armour. And the reason? You probably won’t believe it.
Reports say that Nike lost Steph Curry due to simple but profound errors that one of its executives made. According to ESPN, Steph Curry already used Nike shoes during his earlier days in playing. However, Steph Curry’s father, Dell, said that during a pitch meeting where they were supposed to re-sign Steph Curry to go with Nike, a certain executive misstated his name as “Steph-on” instead of “Stephen.”
Additionally, a PowerPoint presentation that was used during the meeting had Kevin Durant’s name on it, signifying that whatever material they used was just recycled. "I stopped paying attention after that," said Dell, who at that time already made up his mind that Steph Curry shouldn’t be with Nike.
There were also reports about other players getting a Nike-sponsored camp. “They gave Kyrie [Irving] a camp and they gave Anthony Davis a camp,” said Steph’s friend and former roommate Chris Strachan. “They didn't give Steph a camp."
'I Can Do All Things'
Under Armour had a big leap when they got Steph Curry to be their shoe ambassador, reports Forbes. Analysts report that while Nike has a powerhouse roster of shoes named after LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan, it’s the Under Armour Curry Two line that made the most sales (with the exception of the Jordan brand). And to think that he’d be falling under the shadow of Nike’s heavy hitters.
Steph Curry’s involvement with Under Armour helped the growing athletic gear company get a 57 percent jump in footwear sales in 2015. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank couldn’t be more proud of their decision to sign Curry until 2024. “We have the right athlete in Stephen Curry,” he said in a presentation earlier this year.
