Stephen Curry: Basketball Legacy and Business Ventures

Stephen Curry's exceptional basketball skills and business acumen have propelled him to global icon status.

### Stephen Curry: From Basketball Stardom to Business Empire
* 🏀 The final moments of the gold medal game showcased an **electric atmosphere** as Stephen Curry sank **crucial shots**, leading his team to **victory against France**.
* 🌟 Recognized as one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, Curry's **deep three-pointers** have become legendary, with fans and players alike marveling at his **uncanny skill**.
* 🏆 Drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2009, Curry transformed the franchise into a **championship-winning team**, securing **four titles in eight years** and significantly increasing its value to **over $8 billion**.
* 💼 Beyond basketball, Curry has built a diverse business portfolio, including partnerships and a growing brand with Under Armour, aiming to **rival Nike's Jordan brand**.
* 🌍 His cultural influence is evident as he has been referenced in **over a hundred songs**, and his philanthropic efforts focus on **creating lasting change in the community**, particularly in Oakland.
* 📈 Despite setbacks, such as the FTX controversy, Curry remains optimistic about his business ventures and the legacy he will leave, emphasizing the **importance of authenticity and long-term vision**.
* ⛳ As he balances basketball and business, Curry aims to **inspire the next generation of athletes**, particularly in golf, by **breaking down barriers and providing access to underserved communities**.
* 🔮 Looking ahead, Curry envisions a future where he can contribute to the NBA as an **owner**, while continuing to grow his brand and impact **beyond the court**.

The last minutes of the gold medal game. What was happening? Those last three minutes. It was just, how do you get to the finish line? And the first shot went in. He sticks it. Basketball guys were basically, it's like, 'Yo, you just,

you know, I found a good look.' Thankfully they all went in. Ridiculous. The unreal energy in the building. Playing France. In France. First time experiencing that at that stage. Ayesha was there. My family was there. Storybook stuff

for sure. Storybook ending. I mean, was it unreal? It was incredible. It happened so fast, though. It did. That's the thing. But it was, it was awesome to see. Over the double team. NBA superstar.

Stephen Curry has had a lot to celebrate lately. Deep three. Why not? Known for sinking triples from almost anywhere on the court. He's recognized as one of, if not the greatest shooters of all time. I have never seen anything like that in my life.

It's uncanny. I don't think there's ever been a guy in our league able to shoot the ball as well as he does. Kids now don't want to go to the rim. They want to shoot from the outside.

They want to be cool just like this guy. Performance anxiety is real. It's a lot. But I still love it. I still enjoy it. I still love the grind of it. Drafted by the Golden State Warriors back in 2009,

Curry has propelled the club from a forlorn franchise to the NBA's most valuable team, winning a fourth title in eight years. People ask me, what's the one thing that turned the Warriors around? It's Steph Curry; certainly having him on your roster helped.

The four-time NBA champion has now staked his claim to basketball's Mount Rushmore and is one of the most marketable athletes in the world. His cultural cachet has given him influence in the corridors of power. He's so in the zeitgeist

that he's been name-dropped in more than a hundred songs.  'Been cookin' with the sauce, Chef Curry with the pot. Been cookin' with the sauce, Chef Curry with the pot, boy.' All this while Curry has built a sprawling business

portfolio that spans brand partnerships, media, investments, and philanthropy. The question now is, can Curry extend his winning streak to the boardroom? Will his Curry brand with Under Armour ever compare to Nike's Jordan brand? Will his off-court investments pay off?

I talked to Curry about his long shots, his growing business empire, and his legacy beyond basketball. Winning, a winning record on a road trip. You take that any day of the week. We've been wearing the number 30 since college.

All under your Thirty Ink umbrella: the sneakers, your production company, VC fund, the foundation—chase it all with a little bit of bourbon. Was there a moment where you decided you wanted to be more than a basketball player?

I think I always had that perspective. You just didn't know what opportunities would be there. All that stuff has been curiosities that turned into substantial business opportunities. And I think that probably was around year four of my NBA career where you realize doors

that are opening based off of, you know, what you're doing on the basketball court, people that you meet along the way, and just trying to find a sound approach to managing it all. Because obviously it matters who you go into business with.

Let's talk about that because that's a good point. A point guard needs to know how to run the offense, when to pass, when to shoot. How did being a basketball player prepare you to run so many different businesses? Well, first, going to Davidson, it allowed me

to have a perspective that it wasn't just about basketball. Like, there was a nice time management, intellectual journey at Davidson that gave me a balance as well. So it wasn't just a hundred percent, "I'm just

going to the gym and hooping." That's the only thing I can offer this world. Basketball is not an individual sport. It requires five people working in unison. You've gotta have different roles that everybody buys into. And I think maybe a little bit of imagination

as well, from a point guard position. Like, you've gotta have a little creativity and a little flair, the way I play at least. So that's helped off the court too. I'm here at the Chase Center, home of the Warriors, and it's game night.

The Warriors moved to their new, shiny, state-of-the-art arena in 2019, completing their transformation into one of the NBA's elite. When Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the team for nearly $500 million a decade earlier,

there were no signs it would blossom into an NBA dynasty. Back then, the club was struggling with patchy attendance and one of the worst records in the league, failing to win a championship for nearly 40 years.

So Steph just came on the court, warming up his three-pointer, taking shots from super deep and looking good. The club's new owners injected a Silicon Valley mentality, investing in a golden era where winning became second nature

and its valuation ballooned to more than $8 billion. A key player in the turnaround was former teammate turned venture capitalist, Andre Iguodala, who occasionally invests in startups with Curry.

So, first game back all season. I haven't been back here since I left. This is your first game back since you left? Yeah. Joe Lacob ran the team, my understanding is, a lot like a startup. Did you see him make decisions that might have been different from other owners?

I think his VC mentality was, you plan for the future, and you see a lot of owners get into sports and they don't have a long-term vision.  And you see a lot of VC investing. It's like, all right, I'm going to invest in something

because I'm going to see the return maybe right now, but on the back end. But he never wants to lose. And that's a true VC spirit. So, how much of the team's success is winning versus how the team is run?

You can't win a championship unless you have the best talent. And so I'm going to go out on a limb and say 80% of it is Steph Curry. I know Joe doesn't like when I say it that way, but it's the truth. I mean, we all know that.

Do you think Steph will become an empire beyond basketball? His team's, as we like to say, total addressable market is smaller only because he's very strategic in what he aligns himself with. And so, you know, he is very wholesome

and he lives a wholesome life. Like he's true to what he represents. There are certain things that he wouldn't participate in that would allow him to get there quicker. But I think over time he'll eventually get there. Steph says you were the first person to bring tech

and investing into the locker room. How much talk was there about tech and deals? Well, it was just, it was something new and so it was a lot of information flow. I'm a huge Apple fan and Eddy Cue likes to hide behind the scenes,

but Eddy Cue's been a fan for so long. That's really how I got into the space. Steph was having conversations about, you know, what's the hottest tech company? You're going to see it come together, especially in a place like San Francisco, the Bay Area,

You know, wherever that city is, you're going to get the vibes of that city. Tech folks, VCs now fill up the courtside seats mostly at the Chase Center. Oakland legend, Mr. Fab said the vibe is now all

about rich techies. How has being tight with Silicon Valley influenced the club for better and for worse? It has changed the demographic of, you know, who's coming to our games. But it's a give and take of, you know, continuing to

elevate the brand of what Warriors basketball is about and obviously championships and all that. But also honoring the history of where we've been. That's something that's extremely important to me.

Why our foundation is based in Oakland, it's why I still have a flag there and want to continue to represent the community that supported us for so long. You know, business is tough. There are definitely some hard parts

about it as things evolve. You did a deal with FTX and did some commercials. This is Steph Curry, the world's leading expert on cryptocurrency. I'm not... Tom Brady did it too. Lots of celebs did. Obviously that went super sideways.

The whole FTX thing. What did you learn from that? It went crazy sideways. And you make decisions based on the facts that you have in front of you and you take some chances, like obviously nobody wanted to see it play out that way.

And it's obviously way bigger than just me being an endorser for the company, and some of the names that you mentioned. But it's one of those shots that you took that didn't pan out. And, you know, obviously the legal process is settling itself.

And, you know, it's unfortunate the way that it went. I think it was a shock to a lot of people, not just me, the way it turned out. You take that one on the chin and keep moving. You just produced and starred in your own TV show about

you and about Stephenomics, which is a running joke in the show. Steph Curry is like a small country. His GDP is roughly the same as Nicaragua. His chief export is buckets. But it's not a joke. Stephenomics is a real thing, isn't it?

Yeah, there are some, there are definitely some truths in there for sure. It might have been a little embellished or exaggerated, but you understand like the business of basketball and the business of everything else off the court.

So I don't talk about it as much. But there is a lot of truth in there for sure. One way for elite athletes to stay relevant beyond retirement is building their own brand. Launching a signature footwear or apparel line has become part of the playbook.

And Curry has bet on the underdog. He signed with Under Armour, angling to take on Nike, the undisputed leader of the sneaker world. Curry started his pro career wearing the iconic swoosh until Nike misplayed its shot.

And he went to Under Armour in what would become the marketing steal of the century. A former Nike executive said that if you had stayed with Nike, your business would've been a monster. How do you respond to that? There's a reason I'm not there.

I've always been an underdog. It's kind of my mentality. And when I joined Under Armour back in 2013, the basketball roster was pretty slim, basically starting the category from scratch. So to be a signature athlete for the seven or eight years

that I was there, to then turn it into a Curry brand and the success that we've had, I'm super proud of that, to be honest. But the fact that I took a chance and wanted to create something on my own, and, you know,

and sitting where I am right now, that speaks way more than saying, you know, what could have been with Nike. We signed him in 2013; we launched his first signature sneaker in 2015, after three championships, two MVPs.

We sat down to do an extension, and I think it was something that was very important to him, based on some of the success he'd had over the last three or four years, that he wanted to have his own standalone brand.

After the Olympic win, Curry embarked on a week-long tour of China, opening his brand's first-ever store there in a play to boost its international footprint. The crowds were so overwhelming they had to cut the trip short. What was it like seeing that kind of Curry-mania abroad?

We had an amazing itinerary set up where we were going to
experience four great cities, have some activations, meet the fans, and do a Curry brand
launch that was specific to the Chinese fans, and that went well.  However, we had to skip a
city because there were some

security concerns. I was under hotel arrest for two days because of crowd control problems. I'm sure that drove you crazy. It did, but it was also flattering, and I appreciate that love. We want to be able to obviously
do those trips in the future

and figure out a creative way to still have a presence there. You launched the Curry brand with Under Armour. Is the ambition to be as big as Air Jordan? My version of that is, in the
sense that he set the standard, and I know everybody's
in the comparison game

of his career on the court and obviously what Air
Jordan means, you know, culturally, on and off the court as well. But what we've learned over
the last four years is to do what we do great and
understand this is a marathon, and I think we can have some

success at a high level
when it comes to what is, you know, a 10, 20-year outlook
that mirrors the Jordan brand but does it in a way that's
authentic to what I stand for, what the Curry brand wants to stand for.

And that's not just here in the U.S. That's internationally, too. Yeah. How do you really
win over sneakerheads? For us, we have to
focus on what we do great. And what I know we do great is,

From a performance standpoint, I truly feel like our shoes, or my shoes, are the best in the biz when it comes to, you know, making athletes better. Putting me in a position to continue to play at this high level in year 16.

And also keep perspective, like we've been doing this 10 years now, almost 11, but with the Curry brand for 4 years. So for us, the long game is everything. But you have to make sure you focus on what you do well

and then slowly expand from there. Part of the Thirty Ink strategy is developing synergy between Curry's businesses, brands, and philanthropy. Ray, I think we can officially now say good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the Workday Charity Classic benefiting

Eat. Learn. Play. The Curry brand frequently partners with the foundation he launched with his wife and business partner, Ayesha Curry. The annual charity tournament brings together the basketball player's longtime golf obsession and the couple's shared love for their adopted home of Oakland.

This event is just a culmination of our entire community coming together to raise awareness for the cause, have a good time, and hopefully raise some money to help us all year for the years to come. First birdie of the day. There we go. There we go.

So Ayesha, you've said that impact is more important than legacy. Yes. What do you want the lasting impact to be? I want lasting change. I want to see kids graduating high school and going off to college.

I want to see literacy rates rising. I want to see kids enjoying going to school and feeling like they have a safe place to just be themselves. I think the model that we're putting together is trying to prove that if you start within your town

you can make a lasting impact. It doesn't have to be enormous. So many athletes and celebrities have their charity thing. Like, what's really going to make yours stand out? I think it's obviously being centered in Oakland. It's where, you know,

the fan base embraced us when I got drafted in 2009. We basically raised our family here in Oakland, in the greater Bay Area. We can really point to our programs, our philosophies, the partners that we've aligned

with within the community to say this is—this has proven beneficial and shown results.

Five-star Uber? Yes. Do you prefer quiet? Do you prefer conversations? We're going to get conversational. Don't you worry.

Oh, is this really a five-star Uber? I'm not so sure. Off to a rocky start. Happy on the brakes. Don't worry, we'll put it back here. Where are we going? Clark did a change too. I see you.

Yes, sir. So how often do you guys actually golf together? A lot more now.

Oh, yeah. So she just really picked it up two years ago. Don't worry, I'm going to do that three times. We're having fun with it though.

Like it's cool to go on vacation if we have an opportunity.  Turned up too late. I was gonna say, do you give her some tips? I try. Look at your swag bag. Okay. But let's just say we have sourced

a professional, a nice golf coach, to come in and relieve me of my duty. Keep the marriage happy. That part. Yeah. See what I'm saying? Not every shot is the same. Anytime you play golf,

there's always just fun just to hit it as far as you can. Yep. - I don't even care where it goes, I'm just trying to hit it as hard as I can. Okay. Long and straight, Steph. Long. I'm trying. Long and straight.

That's what I wanted to do. Right. Woo. What gives you the biggest rush? A hole in one or a buzzer beater? A hole in one. Only because he's like, 'cause I hit buzzer beaters all the time.

Yeah, like basketball, that's your job, right? Obviously it's a cool moment if you hit a game winner, a buzzer beater, whatever. But for the win, yes sir. People who've been playing golf their whole life, millions

and millions of people have never had one. So when you do get one, you celebrate. I have two now. So I saw the Tahoe one, one's... that was the loudest one. How about that? A hole in one on TV in a tournament.

I never ever thought
I'd be able to do that. So that was, that was crazy. True story. This is my
third time golfing ever. That's perfect.
So I was hoping you could give me some tips.

That's perfect. So the only
thing we're going to start with is like, say the ball's right here. Yep. - I'm gonna take the
club. You can let it go. And now I want you to grip it
like in between here and here.

You were down here last time. Okay,
Perfect. It's not the right, right
direction, somewhere far. So you grew up in a family of athletes. How competitive was it in the
Curry household growing up? Was it...

past tense. It's still competitive. Well, I was gonna ask,
how competitive is it today? It's, it's extremely competitive. Playing horse in the driveway, card games, board games, whatever it is. The whole vibe of just wanting to win at everything is definitely,

then Ayesha's fit right into that because she obviously doesn't have much of a sports background,
but when it comes to... Don't say obvious. Oh, real. No, I mean I can
beat you in a race.

I've got video footage of her
beating me in a foot race. Ooh.
At Under Armour's headquarters. I'm fast. That's your blackmail. She's track.
I'm coordinated. You started the underrated
golf tour to open doors

for young golfers of color. Why do you think golf is still so stuck in the past? The historical nature of, you know, society where it was such a very elitist sport.  Like, obviously it's super expensive. You have to have access to property and places to play.

and obviously there's the public golf scene versus the private golf scene. It's really, it is really evolved over the course of time. And I think right now we're at an inflection point on getting kids access to a sport that has been predominantly, you know, male

and white-driven for a very long time. So I'm trying to do my part to create a vision and inspiration around like, okay, if you are talented enough, one, can we get clubs in your hands earlier in life? Two, can we get you the financial support

and the access to coaching, equipment, being able to travel around to different places to be a part of tournaments and stuff like that. And also giving kids a vision like, oh, I see young Black and Brown kids out there on the course.

Oh, they're really good at golf. Oh, that might be something for me. I would aim it like right here. Okay. Is there a secret to this part? Not at all. You just, it is just whatever you feel is right.

Oh yeah. So you're both in the same boat. You hit the perfect line, you just didn't hit it hard enough. Okay. Give it enough... Henny. Hey, there it sounds. After basketball, pro golf?

No. No appetite to try to pursue a professional career at all. Okay. At all. I'll believe it when I don't see it. You've got Olympic gold, you just extended your contract a few years. How will you know when it's time

to hang up your basketball shoes? Like, how much longer do you wanna play? I have no idea how I'll know, except I've talked to plenty of people who've been in that situation where there are two ways to really go out. Either you're forced out or you go out on your own terms.

But I hope to be in a situation where you kind of consider how you, your body feels, what it takes to get ready for games. You know, the offseason training that goes into preparing yourself for an 82-game season.

There will be a clear sign that it's time to hang it up. I don't want to be the one that's limping up and down the court trying to keep up with the young bucks, but I don't think I'm anywhere close to that yet.

You've said you wanna own an NBA or WNBA team one day. How will you make your mark, like, with your unique perspective, what would you do differently? I'm gonna be very patient with it, 'cause you wanna make sure it's the right situation for me.

And hopefully, again, that comes to life when my basketball career is over with. But I think I'd have a very solid perspective that I could add to an ownership group that would hopefully make a difference.

Where are you going to be in 10 years? What kind of player do you want to be? In 10 years, I want to be known as a true professional. There's a video of you as a young rookie talking about

where you'll be in 10 years. What would 21-year-old Steph think of where you are today? Obviously, he'd be super proud, and a lot of it's not just because of the accomplishments, which are

beyond my own imagination when I was 21, but the fact that not only have I experienced greatness on the court, but things we've talked about off the court from a business perspective, my family, and the fact that now, in year 16, which is a big year for me,

and my family—my dad played 16 years in the NBA, and that was always a goal for me, to hit that milestone. And now I'm right in the middle of it. To have that as something that me

and him can share now is pretty special. So it's all, again, beyond my wildest dreams—something that I think 21-year-old me would be super proud of. What else do you want to achieve? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Well, basketball will be done by then. I can pretty much say that for sure. I don't think I'll be playing anymore. Everything that I'm doing, I love; I'm passionate about, and I want to continue to go deeper.

So I've dreamed big before and I'll keep my eye on that tremendously. So hopefully that happens again for the next 10. You'll have a few more championship trophies in your trophy case. It would not be because of a lack of effort.

I'm gonna try my hardest. It's Curry. For the record, it's good. There it is. It's Stephen Curry. Greatest shooter of all time. I'm trying to be, man. I've got a couple more years.

How Stephen Curry Is Building an Empire Beyond Basketball | The Circuit with Emily Chang

Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today’s biggest topics. Hosted by experts covering stories you haven’t seen and viewpoints you haven’t heard, you’ll discover cinematic, data-led shows that investigate the intersection of business and culture. Exploring every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond, Bloomberg Originals is business as you’ve never seen it.


Bloomberg Originals

Curry's Recent Gold Medal Win and its Impact

Description of the final minutes of the gold medal basketball game and Curry's successful shots.

The high energy of the game in France, with family present.

The speed and awesomeness of the win, described as a 'storybook ending'.

Commentary on Curry's exceptional shooting skills and his impact on the game.

Curry's Business Empire and Career Trajectory

Influence of Curry's success on young players' styles and the reality of performance anxiety.

Curry's impact on the Golden State Warriors, transforming them into a winning team.

Curry's place among basketball greats and his significant cultural influence.

Discussion of Curry's extensive business portfolio and future aspirations.

Questions about Curry's future business success, comparing his brand to Nike's Jordan brand.

Curry's Business Acumen and Transition Beyond Basketball

Discussion about Curry's various business ventures under Thirty Ink.

Curry's perspective on always having business aspirations, alongside his basketball career.

The point at which Curry's basketball success translated into significant business opportunities.

Importance of choosing the right business partners and the significance of sound business management.

How Curry's basketball experience prepared him for running multiple businesses.

The impact of Davidson College on Curry's perspective and time management skills.

The teamwork aspect of basketball and its application to business.

The Golden State Warriors' Transformation and Silicon Valley Influence

The Warriors' move to the Chase Center and their rise to NBA elite status.

The team's previous struggles and the impact of new ownership.

The Silicon Valley mentality adopted by the new owners and its contribution to the team's success.

Andre Iguodala's role in the team's turnaround and his involvement in startups with Curry.

Comparison of Joe Lacob's management style to that of a startup founder.

Lacob's long-term vision and his VC mentality.

Discussion on the relative contributions of talent and team management to the team's success.

Assessment of Curry's potential to build an empire beyond basketball.

Analysis of Curry's strategic brand partnerships and wholesome image.

Andre Iguodala's introduction of tech and investing into the locker room.

The influence of Silicon Valley on the Warriors and the changing demographics of game attendees.

Balancing brand elevation with honoring the team's history and Oakland's community.

Discussion of Curry's partnership with FTX and the subsequent fallout.

Curry's perspective on the situation and the lessons learned.

The broader implications of the FTX collapse and Curry's response.

Discussion of Curry's TV show and the concept of 'Stephenomics'.

The reality behind the 'Stephenomics' concept and its significance.

The importance of building a personal brand for athletes beyond retirement.

Curry's partnership with Under Armour and the reasons behind his decision.

Curry's response to suggestions that he would have been more successful with Nike.

Curry's pride in building the Curry brand from scratch with Under Armour.

The creation of Curry's standalone brand within Under Armour.

Curry's international expansion and the challenges faced during his China tour.

The overwhelming response to Curry's brand launch in China and the need to adjust the tour.

Details about the security concerns that led to shortening the China tour.

Curry's experience of being under hotel arrest due to crowd control issues.

Ambitions for the Curry brand and comparisons to the Air Jordan brand.

Long-term vision for the Curry brand and its authenticity.

Focus on performance and the long-term strategy for brand expansion.

Winning over sneakerheads by focusing on product performance and quality.

The long-term perspective and strategic expansion of the Curry brand.

Curry's Philanthropic Endeavors and Family Life

The Workday Charity Classic benefiting Eat. Learn. Play.

Partnership between the Curry brand and the Eat. Learn. Play. foundation.

The purpose and impact of the annual charity tournament.

Ayesha Curry's perspective on impact being more important than legacy.

The goals and model of the Eat. Learn. Play. foundation.

What sets the Curry foundation apart from other athlete charities.

The foundation's focus on Oakland and its community impact.

Anecdotes about a golf outing with Ayesha Curry.

The couple's golfing habits and Ayesha's recent interest in the sport.

Steph's golfing tips for Ayesha and their use of a professional golf coach.

Discussion about the thrill of hitting a long drive in golf.

Comparing the excitement of a hole-in-one to a buzzer-beater in basketball.

Steph's experience of achieving two hole-in-ones, particularly one on TV.

Family Competition and Curry's Golf Initiatives

The competitive nature of the Curry family.

Ongoing competitiveness within the family, including Ayesha.

Ayesha's athletic abilities and competitive spirit.

Reasons for golf's historical lack of diversity and inclusion.

Curry's efforts to increase access and opportunity in golf for young people of color.

The importance of providing access, financial support, and coaching to young golfers.

The goal of inspiring young Black and Brown kids to participate in golf.

Additional golf tips and discussion about future golfing aspirations.

Curry's lack of interest in pursuing a professional golf career.

How Curry will know when it's time to retire from basketball.

Curry's perspective on retiring on his own terms.

Factors that will influence Curry's decision to retire from basketball.

Curry's desire to retire before his physical capabilities decline significantly.

Curry's ambition to own an NBA or WNBA team someday.

Curry's perspective and approach to team ownership.

A 21-year-old Curry's perspective on his current accomplishments.

Curry's pride in both his on-court and off-court achievements.

Significance of reaching 16 years in the NBA, mirroring his father's career.

Curry's future aspirations and continued passion for his endeavors.

Curry's plans for after his basketball career.

Curry's commitment to striving for future success.

Curry's self-assessment as a shooter and his desire for longevity.

Concluding remarks from Curry about continuous improvement.