Stephen Curry and his stunning departure from Under Armour has sent shockwaves through the sneaker world, and new reporting suggests the breakup traces back to one of the biggest recruiting misses in years: Caitlin Clark.
A major turning point came when Curry personally helped Under Armour pitch Clark, only to watch the brand refuse to match Nike’s offer.
Their report states, “One sore point for Curry was the attempt last year to recruit Caitlin Clark to join his brand. Under Armour’s offer trailed the total value of Nike’s pitch,’ Bloomberg’s Kim Bhasin and Randall Williams reported.
Insiders believed Clark’s first signature shoe could become a nine-figure business.
For a company already falling behind Nike, Jordan and Puma in women’s basketball, Clark represented a generational swing, and they missed.
Bloomberg also reported that failing to land Clark only intensified Curry’s long-standing concerns about UA’s commitment to basketball.
“His representatives became frustrated by what they viewed as underinvestment,” the outlet wrote.
The news of Curry and Under Armour parting ways after a 12-year partnership broke on November 13.
Steph didn’t waste any time, because less than 48 hours laters he was seen warming up in Nike Kobe 6 “Mambacitas”.
Curry told reporters, “This is new beginnings… I’m excited about the future.”
Dwyane Wade, who has spent more than a decade with Li-Ning and understands the industry firsthand, believes the breakup says as much about the market as it does about the parties involved.
“First of all, the whole industry is struggling when it comes to the sneaker community,” Wade said on his YouTube channel. “I know because I’m in it, right? So, I understand. Like, I’ve seen my numbers. I’m like, ‘Oh s—t’, you know what I’m saying? So, the whole industry is struggling. And there’s a lot of different reasons why, but no, you don’t think about that when you think about one of the greatest players, right, to play.”
He added, “That has lasted 13 years, and they did some incredible things with the Curry brand,” D-Wade continued. “And obviously Steph changed the sneaker game for a while, especially in the beginning, when it came to the kids. Like, when Steph first hit the scene with the Under Armours, all the kids was wearing them. Everybody. You know what I’m saying? That’s all the kids wanted.”
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