Curry, Under Armour nearly broke up in ’18

PHILADELPHIA — Warriors guard Stephen Curry nearly ended his partnership with Under Armour a year and a half ago before deciding to stick with the company, according to the New York Times.

Citing two former Under Armour executives familiar with the matter, the Times reported that Curry and the brand had become increasingly frustrated with their relationship. The first problem came in 2017, when Curry took issue publicly with Kevin Plank — Under Amour’s founder and chief executive — calling President Trump “a real asset” to the country.

Plank was displeased that Curry would rarely wear Under Armour gear to NBA games. Meanwhile, Curry was frustrated that his signature Curry 3 hadn’t sold well.

During a meeting in summer 2018, Plank and Patrik Frisk — Under Armour’s president and chief operating officer — pitched Curry on building a separate business around him, a blueprint similar to what Nike had done for Michael Jordan two decades earlier.

Per the Times, Curry decided to stay with the company after Under Armour brought on the former executive who had led the creation of the Jordan brand at Nike to run the Curry brand. Curry also was promised much more involvement in the development of his shoes.

These days, Curry appears to be on solid terms with his biggest sponsor. Shortly after his meeting with Plank and Frisk, he helped recruit Philadelphia center Joel Embiid to the brand.

Curry makes roughly $20 million a year from Under Armour, about half of what he’ll earn this season from the Warriors.