Stephen Curry may be a free agent, but Golden State Warriors fans need not worry. It’s only his shoes that are set to change. Curry announced his split with Under Armour, ending a 13-year partnership, and is now poised to sign a new deal with another brand. Could Li-Ning be the destination?
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Curry certainly raised eyebrows when his Under Armor deal got terminated. He signed a lifetime contract with them in 2023, which made him President of his own Curry Brand. And although he will retain his own rights, it’s worth pondering over where he’ll head to next.
In the Warriors’ game against the Orlando Magic on Monday, Curry decided to wear Li-Ning shoes. He wore the exact same ones that his teammate Jimmy Butler wore on the night.
Curry specifically wore the “Snake Spirit” JB3s, which are Butler’s signature kicks. Considering the Warriors were also wearing their “The Town” edition jerseys, it was certainly a good match.
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
But does that mean Curry is signing for Li-Ning? This wasn’t the first time he wore Butler’s signature shoes, with his first appearance on JB4s coming back 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 Kobes and has even worn Anthony Edwards’ and Devin Booker’s signature shoes. It’s a clear signal that the Chef is still not sure which company he wants to sign for next, or whether he wants to market the Curry brand separately.
Considering Curry’s star power, Under Armor may very well be regretting their decision to not 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.
