Chinese Sportswear Brand Sets Record with $400 Mil. Steph Curry Deal
By James Moreau | 26 Jul, 2026

By securing the NBA’s greatest shooter, Li-Ning further challenges industry dominance, highlighting the sustained momentum of Chinese firms in the global sportswear market.

In a recent move that made the biggest splash in the global sportswear industry, Steph Curry has officially signed a landmark 10-year, $400 million partnership with the Chinese sportswear giant Li-Ning.  This deal marks a significant turning point for the greatest shooter of all-time, who parted ways with Under Armour last November after a successful 13-year tenure.  The new agreement is far more than a standard sneaker contract; it encompasses basketball, athleisure, and a full golf line, while also granting Curry the authority to sign other athletes to his burgeoning Curry Brand.

Curry’s decision highlights the growing influence of Chinese athletic brands on the international stage.  Li-Ning, which has aggressively expanded its footprint, already boasts an impressive roster of NBA talent.  Most notably, the company features Golden State Warriors teammate Jimmy Butler, who signed in 2020, and NBA legend Dwyane Wade, who secured a lifetime deal with the brand in 2018.

The competitive landscape is increasingly crowded, with other Chinese firms also making major inroads.  Anta, for example, has solidified its position with a high-profile roster that includes Klay Thompson – who signed a lifetime deal during this year’s All-Star Weekend – and fellow Dallas Mavericks All-Star teammate Kyrie Irving, who inked a 5-year partnership in 2023.  The same year, 361 Degrees bolstered its basketball credibility by signing 3-time MVP Nikola Jokić, joining fellow brand endorser and current Nuggets teammate Aaron Gordon.

This surge in global competition has created significant headwinds for industry giant Nike, whose stock recently hit 12-year lows.  The “Nike versus Curry” narrative isn’t new; it played out once before by proxy during the 2016 NBA Finals.  At that time, Curry was the face of Under Armour, a brand that had successfully penetrated the basketball market amidst a budding Warriors dynasty, while LeBron James carried the torch for Nike.  When the Cavaliers famously overcame a 3-1 series deficit to clinch the title, the momentum shifted and Under Armour arguably never quite recovered its initial trajectory.  We’ll see now if Curry, in the late stages of his career, can successfully ignite the Li-Ning brand in the American market.