Nike’s biggest ever mistake

THE athletic apparel giant is renowned for landing all the big fish in the sports world but this time they got it very, very wrong.

nike logo Picture: SUPPLIED

IT’S not often that the brains trust at Nike get it wrong.

You’ve probably heard about how they stole Michael Jordan away from Adidas and later added Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to their roster of stars.

But a new report has revealed the sports apparel giant got it very wrong when it came to an undersized point guard by the name of Stephen Curry.

Curry wore Nike shoes for the first four years of his NBA career but his contract ran out after a 2012-13 season in which he averaged 23 points and seven assists a game and broke the NBA record for three-pointers made in a season.

He had team success too, leading the Golden State Warriors to the second round of the playoffs, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.

But according to ESPN.com business reporter Darren Rovell that wasn’t enough to convince Nike — who insiders estimate pays James $30 million per year — that Curry was capable of selling a signature shoe.

“Nike had a chance to pay Curry a lot of money and lock him up for the future. After offering less than $2.5 million a year, Nike had a second chance — this time to match Under Armour’s new offer. Unsure that Curry would ever be able to sell signature shoes, Nike let him go,” Rovell reported.

Nike might have Kobe but they missed on Curry.

Today Curry was named the NBA’s most valuable player. He’s helping to transform Under Armour into a serious player in the sneaker market with his wildly popular “Curry One” shoe.

“Stephen Curry is a once-in-a-generation talent and a game-changer who is driving basketball into a new era,” Under Armour found and CEO Kevin Plank said.

“He is truly an innovator on the court, and his impact off the court reaches new heights every year. As Stephen continues to defy expectations, nothing is more exciting than knowing we’ll be with him every step of the way as his performance partner.”

Curry’s popularity is also highlighted by the number of singlets he’s sold this season.

“Curry finished the regular season No. 2 in NBA jersey sales behind only LeBron James, but he’s the top-selling NBA player since January on Fanatics.com, the largest licensed online sports retailer,” Rovell reported.

“He’s the top-selling NBA player on the site in 36 states during the playoffs and his gear has been bought in all 50 states since the playoffs began.”

Under Armour is releasing Curry’s signature shoe in a new colour in honour of his MVP award.

This season Curry carried the top-seeded Warriors to a franchise-record 67 wins, surpassed his own record for most three-pointers in a season and added to his growing reputation as one of the most entertaining spectacles in sports.

He received more All-Star votes than any player and joined James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver at the league’s biggest marketing events during All-Star weekend in New York, where his face plastered posters in subway stations and televisions in taxi cabs. He also delivered by winning his first 3-point contest.

Curry was born in Akron but grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he started in the shadows of his father, former NBA player Dell Curry.

Despite his famous name, most major colleges didn’t offer Curry a scholarship coming out of high school because they thought he was too small. Curry proved them all wrong, going from a shooting guard who dazzled at Davidson during the NCAA Tournament to a polished professional point guard who can shoot, dribble and distribute with the best of them.

He even had to prove his worth to the team that drafted him seventh overall in 2009.

Curry signed a $44 million, four-year contract extension with the Warriors before the 2012-13 season. Back then, the deal looked like a major risk for the Warriors considering Curry’s injury history.

Now? Well, Curry is clearly one of basketball’s best bargains.

NBA MVP VOTING

Stephen Curry (Golden State) — 1198 points

James Harden (Houston) — 936 points

LeBron James (Cleveland) — 552 points

Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) — 352 points

Anthony Davis (New Orleans) — 203 points

Chris Paul (LA Clippers) — 124 points

— with AP’s Antonio Gonzalez