Stephen Curry is the first NBA player to get a business deal valued over $1 billion, as he signed a long-term deal with Under Armour in 2023. But his business portfolio is much more diverse than dealing in his own name and brand.
The Warriors’ superstar has also invested in a production company, Unanimous Media, a sportswear brand called Thirty Ink, and owns the premium bourbon brand, Gentlemen’s Cut. Such a vast portfolio has inspired other athletes to also follow Curry’s footsteps to remain secure after their retirement.
Gareth Bale, the soccer legend who won five UEFA Champions League awards with Real Madrid and ended up retiring with Los Angeles FC, recently admitted his Curry inspiration. The Welsh retired soccer star appeared on a podcast with Front Office Sports and discussed how he looks up to the Warriors’ star.
“I would say more American athletes, I feel, do it right. I don’t know whether there’s more opportunity over here. There are more ways to network and do things,” said Bale while talking about how athletes deal with their money.
“I look at Steph Curry as a great example. I know he’s still playing, but you can see that he’s really kind of putting the work into doing business, doing things that he likes to do, whether it’s charitable or to make money or whatever it may be.”
“He’s putting things in place for when he retires. Obviously, you can still see he’s fully focused on what he’s doing now, but I feel like he’s doing a great job and something I feel like I look up to, and you can kind of take things from what he’s doing and you can try and spin them and make them work for yourself also.”
The Welsh soccer star also caught up with Stephen Curry last year at a Warriors game, where Curry gifted him his game-worn jersey.
Steph gifted his game-worn jersey to Gareth Bale ⚽️
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 10, 2024
Stephen Curry currently has a net worth of $240 million, as per reports. But Curry is not focused on building just that. In an interview with Complex recently, Curry admitted that he feels NBA players are underpaid because they are not allowed to invest in teams until they retire.
Curry’s main goal is to promote and grow basketball and even follow in Michael Jordan’s footsteps while doing that after retirement. Jordan was the first NBA player to invest in a team in the league after his retirement. He invested in the Hornets in 2010 and became the first athlete to become a billionaire afterwards.
Did Michael Jordan lay down the path for Curry to succeed and other athletes like Bale to emulate? Indeed, it was Jordan first who did everything that Bale claims Curry does. Let us know what you think in the comments section.
