Kevin Plank’s gaffe was almost Nike’s opportunity to end the shoe wars.
According to a wide ranging interview with GQ, Stephen Curry revealed that he considered walking away from his Under Armour endorsement deal worth $32 million per year through 2024 following CEO Kevin Plank’s comments about Donald Trump being good for America.
“If I had come to the conclusion that the leadership of the company was not in line with my core values, and vice versa, I would have jumped off that platform,” said Curry.
“Even then, I was worried that I had messed up—that having a playful attitude had detracted from the serious point I felt I needed to make. I’m not gonna pretend that I have some long history as an activist. But I’m definitely in the camp that when it comes to athletes, whoever has a microphone in front of their face, they ought to use it.
“You know, I did get a lot of feedback from other believers who were disappointed in the aggression of my statement. They thought it was un-Christian of me to call [Trump] a name. Now, I understand that Jesus probably wouldn’t have used that term. But He was in that temple going crazy, flipping tables.… I think that sometimes, you have to remember who you are and what you stand for and not be ashamed of that.”
Obviously shaken by the comments and unsure how it would effect his brand, Curry reportedly spent an entire day on the phone with various Under Armour personnel, “pursuing clarification about what was going on” and “making sure everybody knew where everybody else stood on the issue.”
Curry says he was satisfied with what he was told to remain with Under Armour.
-- ThaCover2
