- After mutually parting ways with Under Armour in November 2025, ending a 13-year partnership, four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry has signed a 10-year deal with Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning.
- The agreement covers basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, a full golf line, and grants Curry the ability to sign both male and female athletes under his Curry Brand.
- Li-Ning's NBA roster already includes Dwyane Wade, who has held a lifetime deal with the brand since 2018, along with Jimmy Butler, D'Angelo Russell, Fred VanVleet, and CJ McCollum.
- Curry's agent, Jeff Austin of Octagon, finalized negotiations in recent days; financial terms remain undisclosed.
Stephen Curry officially ended his sneaker free agency on June 2, 2026, signing a landmark 10-year deal with Li-Ning that expands Curry Brand globally across basketball, athleisure, and a full golf line, with the ability for Curry to sign both male and female athletes under his brand. His agent Jeff Austin of Octagon finalized negotiations.
Curry had no prior partnership history with Li-Ning before this deal. His decision came after testing the signature shoes of existing Li-Ning athletes: Warriors teammate Jimmy Butler and NBA legend Dwyane Wade, convincing him the brand could deliver the innovation Curry Brand needed.
Founded in 1990 by Chinese Olympic gymnast Li Ning, the company posted $4.3 billion in revenue in 2025, with over 98% from its domestic market, making Curry the linchpin of its U.S. expansion.
On the court, Curry became the first NBA player in history to record 4,000 career three-pointers and ranked among just four athletes ever to earn over $100 million in endorsements in a single year, which he achieved in 2024.
His recent off-court moves have been just as active: in May 2026, he partnered with Google Health to co-design the Fitbit Air, and in April 2026 he ran a Sotheby’s sneaker charity auction that raised $1.7 million for charity.
He also signed on as a brand ambassador for Rakuten and CANVVS in February 2026. Curry Brand stores are planned to open across both the United States and China.
Takeaways
This deal is bigger than a signature shoe, it’s a generational business move. As NBA insider Brett Siegel put it, “Curry Brand just became globally what Jordan Brand has been for decades.”
Curry bypassed Nike, Adidas, and every American brand to plant his flag with a Chinese giant at a moment when U.S.–China sports commerce is heating back up.
Li-Ning’s deal with Curry is expected to accelerate the brand’s opportunities in the U.S. while significantly boosting Curry’s reach in China, a market where his brand could generate revenue long after his playing days.
The structure mirrors Dwyane Wade’s own playbook: Wade joined Li-Ning in 2012, earned equity, and secured a lifetime deal. If Curry negotiated similar terms, the financial upside could dwarf even his NBA salary.
Could Curry’s move pressure other American superstars to look east for their next sneaker deal? With Li-Ning now boasting Curry, Wade, and Butler, is this the brand that finally challenges Jordan Brand’s global dominance?
