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Chinese sporting giant Li-Ning has struck a much anticipated sneaker deal with NBA icon Stephen Curry after his split with long-term sponsors Under Armour last November.
The 38-year-old Golden State Warriors point guard has clinched a 10-year partnership with Li-Ning, emulating the likes of Dwanye Wade and Jimmy Butler.
Curry added in a recent social media post, “The next stage is set. This is bigger than a shoe deal, bigger than a signature series. This is the partnership of a lifetime. The future of Curry Brand is with Li-Ning. The future of Curry Brand will be powered by a company truly rooted in sports and innovation. A partner dedicated to creating quality products with sneakers that I believe in, that will continue to deliver at the highest level.”
The global deal will be an inspirational one for the next generation of basketballers around the globe with both innovative merchandise and content.
According to ASN data, basketball (19.6%, US$210.6m+) is historically the 2nd largest backed sport from the sport apparel/footwear category in the Asian sponsorship landscape since Q323, with a quarterly average investment of almost US$17.7m during this period. However, spends have nosedived between US$176k and US$1.2m since Q225, and Q226’s forecast is poised to hit almost US$1.3m, a figure similar to such figures. The main market for such sponsorship deals continues to be China (97.4%).