Nike would have had Stephen Curry proudly sporting their swoosh had they not goofed up by mispronouncing the Golden State Warriors star’s name. And their loss was Under Armour’s win as they cashed in on the opportunity.
One of the representatives from Nike ended up calling Curry “Steph-on” instead of “Stephen” during an all-important pitch in 2013, and that cost the brand an athlete who would undoubtedly boost their sales given his meteoric rise in the NBA at that time.
So much for the brand’s ethos of winning. Curry had worn Nike sneakers for the first four years of his career, and as his deal neared expiring, he was ready to look at potential suitors.
At that point, Under Armour, still, an upstart brand was ready to offer $4 million per year along with his own signature shoe. While at it, he was also given the opportunity to be the face of the brand.
Nike’s offer was $2.5 million per year and they declined to match UA’s money, and while they may have still had a shot as the reputed brand taking in Curry, their mistake cost them dear.
Nike’s Nico Harrison Explained The Blunder
In all of the furore, it was Nike’s then Vice President of North American basketball operations, Nico Harrison whose name took a dent.
Harrison, who now serves as the Dallas Mavericks general manager relived the incident and speaking on the ‘Point Forward’ Podcast, shed light on Nike’s blunder.
“There is an article out. And the article says I mispronounced his name,” Harrison began. “It wasn’t me. It absolutely wasn’t me. But they didn’t know the other person, they knew me. So, they say I mispronounced his name because it’s sexy. But I’m like, first of all, I’ve known this guy forever, like since he was in high school. I used to represent his dad. How am I going to mispronounce his name?”
He also added that he might have called him Seth, but he maintained his stance that he wouldn’t have mispronounced Curry’s name. He also added that the sharpshooter would have greatly benefited from Nike, terming the whole business as a “monster.”
That said, Curry signed with UA in 2013 and subsequently inked a nine-year extension in 2015. Would things have been different if he had still picked Nike? It surely would have as he would have been one of the many familiar, decorated faces, but Curry’s always been a class apart and safe to say, he’s best associated with Under Armour and has their cash registers ringing.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
