SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ Stephen Curry felt strongly enough about Golden State teammate Kevin Durant's recent swipe at the Under Armour basketball shoes Curry endorses that the two have since "had a conversation about it," Curry said.
In our exclusive interview before the Carolina Panthers' 23-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Curry said he believed Durant's recent statement about Under Armour did not "ring true at all." But the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player also said that he and Durant cleared the air within the past two weeks about their competing shoe companies, and added that they would not let the issue affect the 2017-18 season.
"This is nothing that is going to put a wrench in the locker room," Curry told me.
Durant, who is one of Nike's most well-known endorsers and a former NBA MVP himself, said in a late August podcast with Bill Simmons: "Nobody wants to play in Under Armours."
After hearing what Durant said secondhand, Curry said he went back to listen to the original Simmons podcast to make sure he understood the context. Then he and Durant talked it out.
"I told him that he has a certain opinion based on his experience growing up in the Nike business," Curry said of Durant. "What that means when it comes to the competition among shoe brands and universities and the whole grassroots system and whatnot _ he's entitled to that opinion obviously. ... But when it comes to what I'm trying to do with Under Armour, and what the Curry brand means and what Under Armour basketball means, that statement does not ring true at all."
Curry and Durant _ who teamed together for the first time last season at Golden State after years of competing as rivals _ both have their own signature basketball shoes that their own competing brands sell and market heavily. Curry said Under Armour had made great strides in the past few years in the basketball business.
"Where we were four years ago, and where we are now _ you can't tell me nobody wants to wear our shoes," Curry said. "I know for a fact that they do."
When I asked Curry if Durant's comments had originally angered him, Curry paused for a few seconds.
Then the former Davidson College and Charlotte Christian star said: "Nah. ... I understand how what we do and the team that we are and the success we've had, no matter what anybody says it's going to be blowing up. ... Especially when it's the opportunity to make it look (controversial). ... Like I said, it's nothing that's going to break up the locker room."
How did they leave it at the end of their recent conversation? With mutual respect. Curry said he respects all of Durant's work with Nike and that "KD respects my business and my brand."
The man also widely recognized as the best shooter in NBA history also talked about:
