Steph Curry left Under Armour after 13 years in late 2025, undergoing one of the greatest sneaker free agent seasons of all time. But now he has signed a 10-year deal with a sneaker brand, and it’s not one you might have expected.
On Monday afternoon, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news that Curry has signed a 10-year sneaker endorsement deal with Chinese brand Li-Ning.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has signed a shoe endorsement contract with Chinese company Li-Ning — a landmark 10-year deal, sources tell ESPN. Li-Ning extends his Curry Brand venture globally and encompasses basketball products, athleisure, the ability for Curry to… pic.twitter.com/RgXull3PjU
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 1, 2026
The Warriors star’s Curry Brand, which began during his time with Under Armour, will continue at the Chinese brand as Curry retained the brand’s trademarks and logos (if not its social channels, as reported by Sole Retriever). Curry said in a video posted on X that the agreement is bigger than a shoe deal, bigger than a signature series. He called it the partnership of a lifetime.
The partnership of a lifetime. pic.twitter.com/PtnTakEf4a
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 1, 2026
There was plenty of speculation throughout the season where Curry would land, especially given all the various models he wore in games, similar to Kobe Bryant’s sneaker free-agent season in 2002-03. Some thought he might start his own brand, a la Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s 741, or even return to Nike due to his admiration for Kobe. Of course, that last one seemed unlikely, as it has long been rumored that Nike fumbled a pitch meeting with Curry years ago during which a rep for the Swoosh couldn’t even say Curry’s name properly and reused a slide intended for Kevin Durant without removing his name.
Curry may be the brand’s most high-profile star, but he’s not its first. Dwyane Wade moved to Li-Ning after leaving Jordan Brand in 2012 and signed a lifetime deal in 2018, which has seen his Way of Wade line continue even after he retired from active competition. Moreover, Curry’s Golden State teammate Jimmy Butler is also signed to the brand and Curry was seen wearing Butler’s Li-Ning sneakers several times throughout last season.
What is Li-Ning?
Li-Ning is a Chinese sneaker brand founded in 1990 by former Olympic gold-medal gymnast Li Ning. The brand’s first sneaker was released in 1991 and the company was the official awards ceremony apparel and footwear provider for the Chinese national delegation at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
The brand touts that its mission is to ignite passion through sports.
Which NBA players endorse Li-Ning?
In addition to Curry and the retired Wade, Li-Ning sneakers can be seen on the feet of the following NBA players:
- Jimmy Butler
- CJ McCollum
- D’Angelo Russell
- Fred VanVleet
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