Brief - The Hustle

Steph Curry’s offseason: Saving Under Armour and joining the billionaire’s club?

Written by Ben Berkley | Jun 2, 2023 11:57:35 PM

The Golden State Warriors are done for the season, but Steph Curry’s work is just beginning.

Tiger Woods and LeBron James are the only two active athletes with Forbes-certified billionaire status, but Curry could soon be joining them in the $1B+ club.

The guy’s got range…

… and not just on the hardwood. His empire includes:

  • Unanimous Media, his production company with a busy slate, including an upcoming Apple TV+ doc about Curry himself.
  • A diversified investment portfolio, from personal finance to esports; plus endorsement deals aplenty, including Google, JPMorgan Chase, Rakuten, and CarMax.

Most prominently — and lucratively — Curry is the athletic face of Under Armour, a partnership extended last month, potentially for life.

Driving the lane to $1B…

… Curry’s portfolio has grown yet again, adding ~$75m in Under Armour equity and continued investment in the Curry Brand (basically Under Armour’s answer to Nike’s Jordan Brand), per Huddle Up.

  • Under Armour’s fate is tied to Curry: Its footwear business increased 350% YoY in 2015 when Curry won the league MVP and an NBA title.
  • Curry’s fortune is tied to Under Armour: If sales targets are met, his earnings will eclipse those from his day job (which, wow — Curry’s NBA contracts total $473m to date).

What’s standing in Curry’s way?

Nobody wins alone in sports. For No. 30’s net worth to reach its full potential, his teammates simply need to not suck:

  • FTX: In a rare misstep, Curry signed on to endorse the failed crypto exchange, opening him up to litigation.
  • Under Armour itself: The brand’s stock has been sliding, down 59%+ over the last five years.

But Curry has a way of turning sour moments into cash: He recently inked another endorsement — to wear a lemonade-flavored mouthguard on the court.