Stephen Curry, Under Armour end 12-year partnership

Stephen Curry and Under Armour have mutually agreed to part ways, ending the 12-year partnership between the Golden State Warriors’ star and the sportswear company that signed Curry away from Nike to become a key player in the basketball shoe space.

Curry, who signed with the shoe company in 2013 after four seasons with Nike, will maintain sole ownership of Curry Brand, the subdivision that had been under Under Armour’s umbrella, and is free to find another retail partner.

“It’s been an incredible privilege to work with Stephen, who as President of Curry Brand has been much more than an ambassador — he’s become a thoughtful and strategic business leader,” Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, said in a news release. “Together with our teammates, he helped build something rare: a brand with credibility, community impact and product that performs at the highest level. For Under Armour, this moment is about discipline and focus on the core UA brand during a critical stage of our turnaround. And for Stephen, it’s the right moment to let what we created evolve on his terms. We’ll always be grateful for what he’s brought to the UA team.”

Under Armour will release the Curry 13 – the final Curry Brand shoe with Under Armour – in February 2026, with additional colorways and apparel collections available through October 2026.

Curry’s initial signing with Under Armour over Nike in 2013 was hailed as a major upset in the sports marketing world. He then launched the Curry Brand as a sub-branch of Under Armour in 2020, in an arrangement similar to Jordan Brand under Nike. Curry was named the sub-brand’s president as part of a long-term extension with Under Armour in 2023. The 11-time NBA All-Star was awarded 8.8 million common shares as part of the agreement, valued at $75 million at the time, along with other performance-based awards and incentives.

“Under Armour believed in me early in my career and gave me the space to build something much bigger and more impactful than a shoe. I’ll always be grateful for that.” Curry said in Thursday’s news release. “Curry Brand was created to change the game for good and over the past five years, we successfully changed the game for kids, for communities, and for basketball. What Curry Brand stands for, what I stand for and my commitment to that mission will never change, it’s only growing stronger. I’m excited for a future that’s focused on aggressive growth with a continued commitment to keep showing up for the next generation.”

The split comes at a precarious time for Under Armour. The company’s stock has dropped 47.3 percent over the past year, and its stock is trading near its 52-week low of $4.17. In August, the company announced that its projected revenue in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year dropped four percent.

“Despite ongoing uncertainty, our brand is gaining strength and we’re executing our strategic plan with clarity and confidence,” Plank said in an August news release.