Stephen Curry Signs 10-Year Brand Deal With Li-Ning

Stephen Curry just signed a 10-year Curry Brand deal with Li-Ning.

The Golden State Warriors star announced the partnership Monday, ending one of basketball’s biggest sneaker free-agency stories after his Under Armour split.

The partnership covers brand creation, product development, and sports culture initiatives across basketball, golf, and lifestyle.

ESPN confirmed the deal also allows Curry to sign male and female athletes under his brand.

Curry called it "the partnership of a lifetime" and said Li-Ning will help "fuel Curry Brand for years to come."

The basketball star spent 13 years with Under Armour before the two sides parted ways in November 2025.

Li-Ning gets its biggest NBA name yet, while Curry gets a new path outside the Under Armour system.

Curry Brand Gets a Global Infrastructure

The partnership includes plans for Curry Brand stores in the U.S. and China, plus new product lines across golf and lifestyle.

Curry is 38 and entering his 18th NBA season, so the 10-year term points well beyond his playing career.

The agreement is as much about post-career brand building as product sales.

Curry tested Li-Ning products before signing, wearing sneakers from Jimmy Butler's and Dwyane Wade's Li-Ning lines earlier this year.

He later said the shoes helped convince him that Li-Ning could support Curry Brand's performance and design goals.

Li-Ning's Path to the NBA

Founder Li Ning won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics as a gymnast before starting the company in 1990.

And Curry pointed to Li Ning's athlete-founder story as one reason the partnership fits his own ambitions for Curry Brand.

The company already has a basketball presence through Wade, Butler, CJ McCollum, Fred VanVleet, and D'Angelo Russell.

Curry brings the roster its highest-profile name.

Curry remains one of the NBA's most recognizable players and has a strong following in China, where he has made seven visits.

The deal arrives as Chinese sportswear companies accelerate their push into global basketball.

Anta signed Klay Thompson to a lifetime deal in February 2026. Li-Ning now has Curry as a direct brand-builder.

Nike's revenue in Greater China fell 20% over the last four fiscal years, creating an opening that Anta and Li-Ning are actively filling.

Li-Ning generates more than 98% of its $4.3 billion revenue from China, and Curry gives the brand a credible route into the U.S. without weakening its domestic position.

Curry’s Li-Ning deal points to three lessons for athlete-led brands:

• Build beyond the signature shoe. Athlete brands need categories, stores, and culture programs to outlive a playing career.
• Use star power with structure. Li-Ning gets attention, product development, and an athlete-signing pipeline.
• Match global ambition with local strength. Li-Ning can use Curry to widen U.S. awareness while protecting its position in China.

Curry has equity incentives in the brand, which aligns his commercial interests with Li-Ning's long-term growth in a way standard endorsements never do.

Our Take: Is Li-Ning Ready for the U.S. Market?

Li-Ning spent 36 years building one of China's most recognized sportswear brands, and signing Curry is the most serious move it made toward the U.S. market.

We think that Li-Ning is ready, but the window is shorter than the 10-year deal suggests.

At 38, Curry only has two or three competitive seasons left, and Li-Ning needs to use this time to establish the Curry Brand before the headlines slow down.

Curry already proved he can make a challenger brand credible in basketball.

Under Armour got this lift during his prime, and Li-Ning gets it as he prepares for the next stage of his career.

A brand that survives its founding athlete's retirement becomes a self-sustaining business.

This is the assignment Li-Ning signed up for, and it's a harder brief than landing the athlete in the first place.

Looking to build athlete partnerships that grow beyond endorsement? Explore these top sports marketing agencies in our directory.