Warriors G Stephen Curry said a big part of his new Under Armour brand will be "investing into youth sports and creating a network and support around kids' participation in sports," according to Jarrel Harris of SI.com. Curry said, "We are starting with over a $1 million investment to people, programs, products and places -- so that is our four P's. Safe places to play, court refurbishments and investing in programs that will get kids active." He added, "COVID has taken a lot of that opportunity away, and it has highlighted the disparities in different parts of the country. We are starting here in Oakland with it and hoping we can branch out." The Curry Brand will feature footwear and apparel across multiple categories, including basketball, golf and running. Curry said, "I feel like whatever a kid is interested in, we want to be able to present an opportunity to kind of live that out. We are going to start with basketball, and we want to make sure we have the product, programming and the arenas they would be able to go to and participate and hopefully scale out and brand out from there." Curry: "We are trying to plant our flag and just live out the purpose we are setting out to do with everything that we do and that for when it comes to product, when it comes to marketing, when it comes to our community give-back and our initiatives, all those things will be true to who I am and true to anybody that wants to participate and change the game for good" (SI.com, 11/30).
SHINING MOMENT: Curry last night appeared on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," where host Trevor Noah said, "We all know in sports and in any apparel line it is huge when a brand says, 'You know what, your name is so big and so powerful that your name is going to sort of standalone within this brand.' We saw it with Jordan. Steph Curry has now gone to the next level." Curry said, "It's surreal to know that this is actually happening and it has been a conversation and strategizing over two years now." Curry said they have "built a substantial business that has had a lot of ups and downs, but has been an amazing learning process." He added, "We’ve grown a lot so taking the foundation of what that is and the relationship that we’ve had and being able to launch Curry Brand where you have an opportunity to have purpose." Curry said "there is a message and a meaning behind" every campaign the Curry Brand will run and "that is to ensure that our next generation has equal and equitable access to sports across the country" (“The Daily Show,” Comedy Central, 11/30).
