Kings PG De'Aaron Fox becomes first NBA player to sign with Stephen Curry's shoe brand
One hundred and seventy-eight days ago, Stephen Curry ripped the Sacramento Kings' heart out with a 50-point performance in a Game 7. De'Aaron Fox just showed there aren't any hard feelings, at least in business.
The Kings' All-Star point guard will become the first NBA player to sign with the Golden State Warriors star's nascent Curry Brand shoe line, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The news was reported as the Kings opened their season with a 130-114 win over the Utah Jazz.
Fox began his NBA career as a Nike athlete on a five-year deal, but became a shoe free agent last season and is now headed to the Under Armour umbrella, where Curry has been the premier athlete since he signed with them in 2013.
Under Armour announced Curry Brand in 2020, basically as an analogue to Nike's iconic Jordan Brand. Fox already has some experience with the brand, having worn the Curry Flow 10 last season.
As far as its first player goes, Curry Brand could have done much worse. Fox is coming off a career-best season, earning his first career All-Star nod while averaging 25 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He finished the season with the NBA's inaugural Clutch Player of the Year award after blowing away the field in points during "clutch time."
With Fox playing his best ball, the 48-34 Kings enjoyed their best season since 2005 and set an NBA record in offensive rating. Unfortunately, they fell to a more experienced Warriors team in the first round, but their window to become a contender is still clearly open with Fox at only 25 years old.
