NBA star Steph Curry signs 10-year deal with China's Li-Ning

SAN FRANCISCO: Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry ended his sneaker free agency on Monday (Jun 1), announcing a 10-year deal with Chinese company Li-Ning after leaving Under Armour last November.

Curry, 38, revealed the deal on social media and called it "the partnership of a lifetime" that will include global expansion of his Curry Brand, basketball products, a golf line, leisure clothing and the ability to sign other athletes to his brand.

"This is bigger than a show deal, bigger than a signature series," Curry said in a video, saying Li-Ning will deliver "sneakers that I believe in that will continue to deliver at the highest level".

Curry had been a partner with Under Armour for 13 years before the split and had worn various brands through the NBA season.

Other Li-Ning athletes with their shoes include Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler, Curry's Golden State Warriors teammate. According to ESPN, Curry was impressed with the company's shoes that were made for his teammates.

Li-Ning will look to open Curry Brand stores in both the US and China, said ESPN.

The company was founded by Li Ning, a 63-year-old former gymnast who won three gold medals for China at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Curry said of the partnership: "It starts with Mr Li Ning himself, an athlete founder who's built one of the world's most premium sportswear brands over the past 35 years. 

"Together, we will continue the Curry Brand mission with stories, platforms and products that will inspire the next generation around the globe and change the game for good."