The True Story Behind Nike's Failed Meeting with Stephen Curry
Nike is synonymous with winning. So whenever one of the most recognizable sportswear brands on the planet takes a loss, it goes down in the history books. One of Nike's biggest misfires occurred in 2013 during a botched meeting with Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry.
At the time, the 25-year-old phenom showed true promise but had not yet won any of his four NBA Championships, two regular season MVP awards, or even made a single All-Star appearance.
Golden State Warriors' point guard began his professional career with Nike.
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Curry had worn Nike throughout the first four years of his professional career, but his first sneaker deal was ready to expire. So the Curry family took pitch meetings with all of the major sneaker companies.
An upstart company known as Under Armour offered $4 million per year plus a signature shoe and the chance to become the face of the company. Nike, whose offer was worth $2.5 million per year, declined its right to match the Under Armour money.
But Nike's meeting went horribly wrong when one of their representatives mispronounced Curry's name, calling him "Steph-on" instead of "Steph-en." Even worse, a repurposed PowerPoint slide displayed Kevin Durant's name.
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry wearing Nike Hyperfuse 2012.
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The botched meeting became folklore among hoopers and sneakerheads alike. But, like most stories that take on a life of their own, there are often missing facts. Besides Nike, no one's reputation took a bigger hit than Nico Harrison.
Harrison was Nike's Vice President of North American basketball operations and was known for his trustworthiness and deep personal connections with the NBA's most popular players. Most notably, Kobe Bryant.
Harrison has had his name attached to the infamous 2013 meeting for nine years. Now, the 49-year-old serves as the Dallas Mavericks general manager. Thanks to the Point Forward podcast hosted by Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, fans finally received some clarification about Harrison's role in the meeting.
Turner, a former NBA player, coach, and serious sneakerhead, had to ask Harrison about what actually happened that day. Harrison provided the following answer:
"There is an article out. And the article says I mispronounced his name. 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? I might have called him Seth, but I wasn't going to mispronounce his name. So yeah, Nike made a mistake. In all honesty, if he would have stayed with Nike, his business would be a monster right now. A monster."
So, Curry's first name was mispronounced, but not by Harrison. You can listen to the entire segment at the 44:20 mark in the latest episode.
The rest is history. Curry signed Under Armour's offer sheet in 2013 before inking a nine-year contract extension in 2015. Then, in November 2020, Under Armour announced the launch of the Curry Brand.
Since partnering with Under Armour, Curry's signature sneaker line has released nine models. Just yesterday, the perennial All-NBA point guard debuted his upcoming 10th sneaker - the Curry 10.
Nike's failure to retain Curry will go down in the history books and be taught in business schools for years to come. Thanks to the Point Forward podcast, we finally know both sides of the story and can clear Harrison's name of the gaff. Stay locked into FanNation Kicks for breaking news, updates, and interviews.
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