As the Warriors' Stephen Curry "has risen from undersized point guard" to this year's NBA MVP, "he also has grown into a marketable commodity within the league," according to a front-page piece by Joe Garofoli of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Not only "has Curry’s No. 30 been the NBA’s top-selling jersey since the playoffs started -- in 46 states, no less, according to Fanatics.com -- one national survey that ranks celebrities puts Curry’s 'influence' on the non-NBA world in the same league as that of George Clooney, Kelly Clarkson and Matthew McConaughey." Curry was "recently offered a starring role in a basketball movie," and while his agent turned it down, the offer shows how Curry's image is "transcending the sports world." Under Armour last month "applied to trademark six phrases it associates with Curry," such as "Charged by Belief" and "The League's Most Unguardable Player." Garofoli writes Curry, who has earned the nickname "the baby-faced assassin," will not even "take a hit if the Warriors lose" in the NBA Finals. Curry’s multiyear endorsement deal with UA "is for a reported" $5.5M. Goodby Silverstein & Partners co-Chair Jeff Goodby suggested that for Curry "to take the next step into off-the-court superstardom," he should "spoof his nice-guy image," much as Broncos QB Peyton Manning has done with appearances on "SNL" and in ESPN ads. Goodby said, “We like funny people. Steph will have to prove that he has a sense of humor." He added, "Soon, he’s going to have an opportunity to do some things that show he’s a little bit edgier than we think he is." But USC Sports Business Institute Exec Dir David Carter "thinks that Curry shouldn’t mess with his everyman authenticity" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/3).
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: ESPN.com's Darren Rovell noted the "most familiar phrase" that UA filed to trademark was "Charged By Belief," which the company "had been using with Curry since launching his signature shoe in February, but surprisingly didn't move to trademark until May 21." Other trademarks "filed that same week" included "Fall Back," "The Game's New Creative Genius" and "The Patron Saint of Underdogs" (ESPN.com, 6/1).
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK: In Cleveland, Joe Vardon noted Cavaliers F LeBron James "stars in a new Beats By Dre headphones commercial," which was released on Monday. In the ad, titled "You Deserve The Best," James "dresses into a suit from a swanky hotel room." The "last item he dons is a pair of gold Beats By Dre Solo 2 wireless headphones." The company in October "released a powerful ad celebrating James' return" to the Cavs (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 6/1).
