After Stephen Curry cut ties with Under Armour and became a sneaker free agent, De'Aaron Fox is the biggest name signed to the shoe retailer.
Earlier this month, Stephen Curry announced that he would end his partnership with shoe giant Under Armour and would be testing the waters in sneaker free agency.
Curry has long been the face of the brand and was easily their most famous sports ambassador. With Curry out the door, San Antonio Spurs' point guard De'Aaron Fox will take the mantle, leading a spartan team of Seth Curry, Jarace Walker, and Davion Mitchell.
Fox has two models of shoes with Under Armour. The brand's stock price has tanked over the last year, and it seemed to be the smart thing for Curry to step away.
Curry initially signed with Under Armour over Nike after Nico Harrison--then an executive with Nike--bungled the pitch, referring to Steph as "Seth" and overall seeming disengaged. Between that and the Luka Doncic trade, Harrison's career is riddled with errors.
However, it was ultimately an Under Armour mistake that caused the divorce. The shoe company did not give WNBA icon Caitlin Clark a reasonable offer, and she eventually signed with Nike.
"Sources noted that one 'sore point' for Curry was the attempt last year to recruit Fever G Caitlin Clark to join his brand," wrote Bloomberg's Kim Bhasin. "He and the company 'pursued the phenom, but Under Armour’s offer trailed the total value of Nike’s pitch.'”
Clark is by far the most valuable figure in women's basketball, and she commands both money and attention. Under Armour offered her $4 million per year for a four-year contract, and Nike agreed to double both the number of years and total sum.
That's a no-brainer.
Under Armour undervaluing Clark seemed to be the last straw, as Curry is now pursuing other options. For Fox, that means he is now the face of Under Armour's NBA brand, which is in decline.
Perhaps if Fox and the Spurs go on a deep playoff run, Under Armour can bounce back. However, once his contract is up, it's fair to say that he will also seek other options, unless Under Armour can buck their recent trend and schmooze their biggest star, keeping him under contract and allowing them to rebuild their roster of stars.
For now, fans can buy Fox's D. Fox 2s for $120, which is $50 than Victor Wembanyama's Nike Air Zoom G.T. Hustles. Nike or going independent seem to be Curry's two best options, so he could partner with a different Spur in the near future.