Stephen Curry is a free agent, but Golden State Warriors fans need not worry. As things stand, only his shoes are set to change.
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Curry announced his split with Under Armour earlier this year, ending a 13-year partnership. It raised eyebrows because he had signed a lifetime contract with the brand in 2023. The deal had made him President of the Curry Brand.
He will retain the rights to his personal brand, though. And of course, he will sign a new deal with another brand. Could Li-Ning be the destination?
In the Warriors’ game against the Orlando Magic on Monday, Curry decided to wear Li-Ning shoes. He wore the same ones that his teammate Jimmy Butler wore on the night.
The ‘Snake Spirit’ JB3s, which Curry wore, are Butler’s signature kicks. Considering the Warriors were also wearing their “The Town” edition jerseys, it was certainly a good match. But does that indicate Curry is signing for Li-Ning?
Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler are matching kicks tonight
Both have on Butler’s signature “Snake Spirit” Li-Ning JB 3 pic.twitter.com/fupcH9X35f
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) December 23, 2025
This wasn’t the first time Steph wore Butler’s signature shoes. His first appearance flaunting JB4s came in November. Butler was shocked, admitting, “It was crazy because I didn’t know that that was going to happen. We talked about just getting him a pair of my sneakers.”
That said, during this free-agency period, Curry has also worn a variety of other shoes. He has been spotted warming up in Kobe Bryant’s signature Nike shoes and has even worn Anthony Edwards’ and Devin Booker’s signature kicks.
It’s a clear signal that the Chef is still not sure which company he wants to sign with next, or whether he wants to market the Curry brand separately. Considering Curry’s star power, Under Armour may very well be regretting their decision not to give Curry what he wanted. The likes of Nike, Puma, Adidas, and even Li-Ning and other brands around the world, will be licking their lips right now.
