Stephen Curry ends sneaker search, signs 10-year deal with Li-Ning

Stephen Curry has found his next sneaker home. The Golden State Warriors star signed an endorsement contract with Chinese company Li-Ning, closing out a drawn-out recruitment that began when he left Under Armour in November.

Curry announced the end of his sneaker free agency Monday, calling it a landmark agreement that pushes his Curry Brand venture into global markets. The deal covers basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, a full golf line and the ability for Curry to sign male and female athletes under his own label. Industry sources said the partnership runs 10 years.

The choice of Li-Ning came after Curry weighed pitches from American and foreign companies. One factor in his decision was how comfortable he felt testing shoes worn by two Li-Ning signature athletes, Warriors teammate Jimmy Butler and former NBA guard Dwyane Wade. Both helped sell Curry on the fit and the direction of the brand.

Li-Ning plans to open Curry Brand stores in the United States and in China, a sign the company sees room to grow on both sides of the Pacific. Curry's agent, Jeff Austin, finalized negotiations in recent days. The partnership was announced on social media Monday, though the two sides did not disclose financial terms.

The agreement closes a chapter that opened with frustration. Curry split from Under Armour after a 13-year run, announcing a mutual parting in November. He expressed gratitude for the relationship even as industry sources described mounting concern about underinvestment from a brand losing value.

What followed was one of the most closely watched sneaker searches in recent memory. Curry sparked the recruitment during a Warriors road trip in San Antonio, warming up in Nike Kobe 6 "Mambacita" sneakers and then cycling through a range of brands over the following months. Each pregame shoe choice drew attention as rival companies tried to land one of the sport's signature stars.

By signing with Li-Ning, Curry follows a path Wade walked before him, betting a Chinese brand can carry an American basketball icon's signature line across borders. The deal gives Curry a stake in the direction of his label, a level of control American suitors were unwilling or unable to match.

To Curry, the move is less about leaving the United States market than about expanding beyond it, with stores planned at home and abroad.