Curry Sidelined, ANTA Frontrunner
Stephen Curry has not played since January 30 due to lingering right knee soreness from patella-femoral pain syndrome and bone bruising, with a second MRI showing no structural damage but requiring re-evaluation in 10 days. Meanwhile, Chinese brand ANTA has emerged as the frontrunner in Curry's sneaker free agency after he debuted their shoes at All-Star Weekend, with ANTA reportedly offering Jordan-level autonomy following his departure from Under Armour.
- Stephen Curry and Under Armour mutually ended their 12-year partnership in November 2025; Curry will retain sole ownership of the Curry Brand and is seeking a new retail and distribution partner. The final shoe from the collaboration, the Curry 13, was scheduled for a February 2026 release. - The split reportedly involved tensions over brand control, including Under Armour allegedly walking back promises about Curry's ownership of brand assets and migrating the Curry Brand's Instagram followers to its own basketball account. For Under Armour, the move is part of a larger restructuring plan to focus on its core brand. - Curry has narrowed his sneaker free agency down to three brands, with ANTA being one of the named finalists. He has been spotted training in ANTA shoes that feature his personal Curry Brand logo on the heel, a detail that has fueled speculation about a pending deal. - ANTA has been aggressively expanding into the North American market, recently opening a flagship store in Beverly Hills and signing Curry's teammate Klay Thompson to a lifetime contract. The company also signed Kyrie Irving as its Chief Creative Officer in 2023. - The injury, diagnosed as patella-femoral pain syndrome or "runner's knee," will keep Curry out for at least four more games, with a re-evaluation scheduled for March 1. While an MRI showed no structural damage, the bone bruising requires rest, and the team is prioritizing his health for the playoffs. - Due to the extended time missed, Curry will be ineligible for regular-season awards like All-NBA teams because of the league's new 65-game minimum participation rule. The Warriors' record is 6-11 this season in games he has not played. - A potential partnership with ANTA would likely involve the Chinese sportswear giant providing the manufacturing, distribution, and strategic infrastructure for the existing, Curry-owned Curry Brand. This structure would be similar to the autonomy Michael Jordan has with Nike's Jordan Brand. - In a major market move, ANTA recently acquired a $1.8 billion stake in PUMA, making it the largest shareholder in the German sportswear company.
