Some might believe that Steph Curry chased the bag over the name after officially signing with Li-Ning for the next decade, but in reality, that is far from the truth.

In a recent podcast appearance on Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed that the Bay Area icon turned down more money from rival brands to sign with Li-Ning.

"He actually passed on more money from another company, you know, he left Under Armour, he has his own Curry brand, so he went through seven months of free agency processing, two of the best shoes he loved throughout the process, DWade's and Jimmy Butler's," Charania said.

Jimmy Butler is also Curry's teammate at the Golden State Warriors, and Charania added that Butler gifted Curry a box of his shoes the moment he announced the deal with Li-Ning.

Curry agreed to a 10-year contract with the Chinese company in a deal worth more than $400 million. This landmark agreement will serve as the foundation for the next phase of Curry Brand, expanding the venture far beyond basketball shoes.

Apart from shoes, this deal will also cover apparel, athleisure lifestyle products, a dedicated golf line, and the ability for Curry to sign both male and female athletes under his brand's umbrella.

While there were competitors, it ultimately came down to the brand he believed offered him the best long-term vision for growing his business empire.

But above all factors, the reason he ended up signing the contract with Li-Ning came down to comfort and familiarity, as stated by Charania.

Steph Curry Reveals What Helped Him Decide to Partner with Li-Ning

While Li-Ning may not be the most notable basketball brand, Curry chose them over the usual Nike and Adidas because the brand has also housed plenty of other stars like Dwyane Wade, Fred VanVleet, D'Angelo Russell, and current teammate, Butler himself.

This was the pivotal factor that led him to join the Chinese heavyweights, as he admitted on Thirty Ink.

“Throughout my sneaker free agency, I was impressed by the quality, comfort & performance of Li-Ning’s shoes. It was during that time playing in Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler’s sneakers that I knew Li-Ning could be the right partner to deliver on the innovation & design that I want Curry Brand to stand for.”

Curry just finished his 17th season in the NBA, and while this shoe deal will accompany him more in his life after retirement, Curry still has a few years left to showcase himself in the league.

It is expected that Li-Ning will take full advantage of Curry's final years in the NBA and release a plethora of products across all categories. Curry's first Li-Ning shoe is now eagerly awaited by all fans.

So, will you be grabbing a pair of Curry's upcoming products with Li-Ning? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy