Stephen Curry signed a long-term endorsement deal with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning, marking a major shift after ending his 13-year partnership with Under Armour in 2023 [1, 2, 3]. The reported 10-year agreement covers shoe and apparel collaboration and includes plans to open Curry Brand stores in both the United States and China [1, 4, 5, 6, 2, 7, 3].
"This is bigger than a shoe deal, bigger than a signature series. This is the partnership of a lifetime," Curry said, calling Li-Ning "a company truly rooted in sports and innovation" with quality products he believes in [4, 6]. He added that the deal represents the future of Curry Brand and noted plans to build on Li-Ning’s success with further growth in both markets [1, 4, 5].
The 38-year-old NBA star was drawn to Li-Ning's product quality and its existing relationships with other NBA players such as Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade [4, 2, 7]. The deal will also allow Curry to sign other athletes to his Curry Brand and expand into basketball, golf, and athleisure product lines [4, 2, 3].
Founded in 1990 by Olympic gold medalist Li Ning, Li-Ning operates over 7,000 stores across Asia, including flagship and factory outlets [1, 5, 6]. Marketing expert Linda Yu from Red Ant Asia called the signing a "landmark victory" for Li-Ning, demonstrating its ability to compete internationally with giants like Nike and Adidas [1].
The deal was announced publicly via Curry’s social media and video messages early June 2026 [4, 6, 2, 3, 8]. Financial terms have not been disclosed [1, 4, 2].
Curry previously partnered with Nike at the start of his career before his long run with Under Armour [1]. Other NBA stars have joined Chinese brands, including Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving with Anta, and Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade with Li-Ning [1, 8]. The rise of these brands reflects growing competition in the global sportswear market and complex NBA-China ties [1, 8].
News outlets reported extensively on June 2 about Curry and Li-Ning’s plans to develop products and promote sports culture globally under their new partnership [1, 9, 4, 5, 2, 3].
