Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning has secured one of the biggest endorsement deals in its history, signing NBA superstar Steph Curry in a 10-year, US $400 million endorsement contract as it pushes out onto the global stage. The signing puts an end to speculation about where the four-time NBA champion would take his signature Curry Brand after his long-running relationship with Under Armour came to an end last year.
In Curry’s words, the deal gives his brand an ‘expanded runway of resources.’ With the new partnership, Li-Ning will aid manufacturing and global distribution of Curry Brand products, while working alongside the man himself to develop new product lines in basketball, golf, and other categories. Plans to open dedicated Curry Brand stores in both China and the US are also part of the package.
While Chinese sportswear brands have long dominated their home market, scoring a player of Curry’s high stature places Li-Ning in competition with global brands. They can now count Nike and Adidas as rivals for talent and consumer attention.
Though he’s probably the most famous, Curry is not the first NBA player to partner with a Chinese sportswear brand. Former star Dwyane Wade and current Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler both have longstanding relationships with Li-Ning. Rival brand, Anta, also counts Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving among its ambassadors.
What makes Li-Ning Steph Curry deal notable, however, is its scope. Curry is effectively handing the future growth of his namesake brand to a Chinese company. It’s much more than just being a face for the business too – the deal is actually much closer to a business partnership than your run-of-the-mill athlete sponsorship.
So what does the future of the Curry Brand look like? Probably pretty rosy. Despite six years in business, the label has only one dedicated standalone store – a Chengdu branch opened in 2024. The planned rollout of stores across China and the US suggests ambitions to transform Curry Brand into a global retail business in its own right.
From this, Li-Ning can count among their assets a globally recognised sports star, one that’ll help in its quest to expand into global markets. Curry, for his part, secures the expanded runway mentioned above: distribution infrastructure needed to take his brand beyond basketball and onto a much larger stage.
