Kendra AndrewsESPN2 min read
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors have a lot in common. They are only a 90-minute drive from each other. Kings head coach Mike Brown was once on Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s staff. The Kings’ series with the Warriors last season ended a 16-year playoff drought, and competition on the court has revived. Now there’s another one.
Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox became the first professional athlete to sign with Warriors point guard Stephen Curry’s brand on Thursday.
Curry Brand is a collection of Under Armor that launched in 2020, although Curry has been with the company since 2013. Like Jordan Brand, Michael Jordan’s collaboration with Nike, Curry Brand is Under Armor’s only independent brand.
Fox’s signing is unique. While it’s common for players to wear the signature shoes of other current players, it’s less common for a deal to be struck.
“It’s definitely a special moment … to be able to work with a guy like D-Fox while we’re still competing, still fighting,” Curry said on ESPN’s “NBA Today.” “For me to sit next to him and understand what this opportunity really means and for him to take it and seize it, it’s a dream come true because there’s no one better than him. “
Fox began his NBA career as a Nike athlete on a five-year contract but became a free agent last season.
Fox is coming off a career season in which he averaged 25 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game, earning his first All-Star selection and winning the NBA’s inaugural Key Player of the Year award.
He also helped the Kings reach the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, but they lost to Curry’s Warriors in seven games.