De'Aaron Fox becomes first NBA player to sign with Curry Brand

Stephen Curry, the greatest shooter the basketball world has ever seen, is still playing at an incredibly high level in the NBA at 35 years old. And yet, his signature line at Under Armour, Curry Brand, is already looking ahead to the future.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox was “finalizing an endorsement deal” on Wednesday night with Curry Brand that would make him the first NBA player to sign with Curry’s signature shoe line. Under Armour then confirmed the multi-year deal on Thursday morning.

“To have somebody that believes in what you’re doing, believes in what the brand stands for, and believes in not just being a Curry Brand athlete, but taking that and building that into your identity as a player is special,” Stephen Curry said in Under Armour’s press release. “And that’s exactly why we chose De’Aaron—he believes in Curry Brand and our mission as much as he believes in himself on the court. I’m grateful to have a partner that is so dedicated to our brand and invested in what our collective future holds.”

Charania broke the news just as the Kings opened up the 2023-24 NBA season on Wednesday night with a 130-114 win over the Utah Jazz. Fox, who played one year at Kentucky during the 2016-17 season, went for 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists in the victory.

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Fox was previously signed to Nike after he entered into a multi-year endorsement deal with the company ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft when Fox was taken 5th overall by the Kings. That contract expired in 2022 however, which allowed Curry Brand to scoop him up. Fox even sported some of Curry’s signature shoes during the 2022-23 season, foreshadowing this agreement. Curry launched the Curry Brand — Under Armour’s version of Michael Jordan’s Jordan Brand — in 2020.

“Words really can’t describe the excitement that I have bringing my own influence and perspective to this partnership alongside Stephen, Under Armour, and Curry Brand,” Fox said. “I can’t wait to show the world what’s next for Curry Brand.”

During Sacramento’s season opener Wednesday night, Fox was seen rocking the Curry 2 Low FloTro. Under Armour’s press release indicates that Fox will be getting his own signature shoe under the Curry Brand belt sometime in 2024. Additionally, Fox, who turns 26 in December, will help oversee Under Armour’s grassroots basketball and UA Next programs moving forward.

While it might be shocking to see a current player sign a shoe deal under the company of another current player, it’s not shocking to see Fox as the guy Curry Brand went for. During the 2022-23 season, his sixth in the NBA, Fox became a first-time NBA All-Star and made an All-NBA Team along the way. The 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 25.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game while leading the Kings to 48 wins and the franchise’s first playoff berth since the 2005-06 season.

It was actually Steph Curry’s Warriors that eliminated Fox’s Kings from the postseason a season ago. But that appears to be water under the bridge now.