December 13, 2024 • 20 mins
National Basketball Association superstar & Thirty Ink Chief Executive Officer Stephen Curry has a lifelong habit of betting on himself and winning big. When he was first drafted by the Golden State Warriors, there were no signs he would become one of the greatest shooters of all time and lead the club’s transformation into an NBA dynasty. Sixteen seasons in, Curry shows no signs of slowing down. Earlier this year, he added Olympic gold to his trophy cabinet and he’s been busy building a growing business portfolio. Now Curry is betting on himself again, working alongside Under Armour to build a label that may one day rival Nike's Jordan. Emily Chang speaks with Curry about how Silicon Valley helped shape his business approach, his long shots on and off the court and aspirations to own a basketball team one day.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm Emily Chang and this is the circuit. So it's
been a busy summer for NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Throwing the double the Raptors carry, always on the move,
throw the double game.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
He finally added Olympic gold to his trophy cabinet, staking
his claim to basketball's Mount Rushmore.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The last three minutes of the gold medal game, what
was happening was just living.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Up to the moment.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Those last three minutes, it was just how do you
get to the finish line playing France in France, And
you know he understood it was the gold medal game.
First time experiencing that at that stage, storybook stuff for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Throughout his career he's made a habit of betting on
himself and winning big. When he was drafted by the
Golden State Warriors in two thousand and nine, there were
no signs he'd propelled the club to an NBA dynasty.
Now he's one of the greatest shooters of all time,
and sixteen seasons in, he's showing no sign of slowing down.
Off the court, He's been building thirty inc. His collection
(01:04):
of businesses that's span partnerships, media, investments, and philanthropy, and
Curry is betting on himself once again to take his
standalone Curry Brand that he launched with under armour quote
to the move and maybe even take on the undisputed
king of sneakers, Nike, and it's Jordan Brand.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I think we can have some success at a high
level when it comes to what is ten twenty years
looked like that mirrors Jordan Brand, but does it in
the way that's authentic to work. I stand for what
Curry Brand wants to stand for, and that's not just
here in the US, that's internationally too.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Joining me now, NBA star Steph Curry, We're.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Going to start on the business. You've been wearing the
number thirty since college, all under your thirty inc umbrella
or 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?
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I think I always had that perspective, you just didn't
know what opportunities would be there. I think obviously from
shooting apparel perspective, Like you know, that's always a part
of a basketball player's expression of what are you rocking,
what brand are you repping, and how can you build
(02:19):
that presence off court? So that's been a kind of
steady through line. But then all the other stuff has
been curiosities that turned into substantial business opportunities. And I
think that probably was around the 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,
(02:41):
people that you meet along the way, and just trying
to find a sound approach to managing it all because
it matters who you go into business with.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Let's talk about that. Because you know, a good point
guard needs to know how to run the offense, when
to pass, when to shoot. How did being a basketball
player prepared to run so many different businesses?
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Well, first, going to Davison, it allowed me to have
a perspective of it wasn't just about basketball, Like there
was a nice time management, you know, intellectual journey at
Davidson that kind of gave me a balance as well,
So it wasn't just one hundred percent I'm just going
to the gym and hooping. That's the only thing I
(03:22):
can offer this world. That helped Basketball is not an
individual sport. It requires five people working in Unison. You
got to 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 got to have
a little creativity and a little flair the way I
play at least, so that's helped off the court too.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
You launched the Curry brand with under Armour now nearly
four years ago. A former Nike executive said that if
you had stayed with Nike, your business would have been
a monster. How do you respond to that?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
There's a reason I'm not there. I've always been an
underdo It's kind of my mentality. And when I joined
under omer back in twenty thirteen, had a couple of
signature athletes, Brandon Jennings was the first, but the basketball
roster was pretty slim and basically starting the category from scratch.
So to be a signature athlete for the seven eight
(04:20):
years that I was there, and to then turning it
into 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 sitting where I am right now
that speaks way more than saying, you know, what could
have been with Nike is.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
The ambition to be as big as.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Aara Jordan my version of that in the sense of
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 court as well.
But launching it four years ago and what we've learned
over the last four years doing what we do great
and understanding this is a merit. It is a true
(05:02):
labor of love and a journey of a lot of
ups and downs. Like there's market conditions that affect the business.
There's wins and losses with the product you put on
the court. And I think for us, as we build
out the roster, continue to expand you know what we're
offering consumers across from me basketball, obviously golf, and eventually
you know, slowly introducing that athletuer's lifestyle kind of presence
(05:26):
to Curry brand. I think we can have some success
at a high level when it comes to what is
ten twenty years looked like that mirrors Jordan brand, but
does it in the way that's authentic to work. I
stand for what Curry Brand wants to stand for. And
that's not just here in the US, that's internationally too.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, how do you get sneaker heads?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
For us?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
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 bids when it comes to making
athletes better, putting me in a position to continue to
play at this high level in year sixteen. And the
innovation process that comes with that, the design process that
(06:06):
we worked tirelessly on to get right, to continue to
elevate an expectation what it you know you're getting with
Curry Brand product, and also keep perspective like we've been
doing this for not ten years now, eleven was eleven,
but with Curry Brand for four years, and it's going
to continue to take time to develop that expectation.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
They went crazy for you in China, so crazy that
the government had to cut the trip short.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
What was it like.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Seeing that kind of Curry mania abroad?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
I think it was shocking to everybody that was on
the tour. I've done that the Asia tour seven or
eight times. Coming off the Olympic Gold Medal experience. We
had an amazing itinerary setup where we're going to experience
four great cities, have some activations, meet the fans. You know,
we're doing a Curry brand launch that was specific to
(06:53):
the Chinese fans and that went well. But you said
we had to skip a city because there was some
security concerns. I was on hotel arrest for two days
because crowd control problems.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I'm sure Glad drove you crazy.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
It did, but it was also flattering, obviously because the
demand was crazy and I appreciate that love. So 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 great problems to have and stories
to tell.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
For sure, you've been based in Silicon Valley a long time.
Tech is a huge part of your fandom. Tech folks
vcs now fill up the court side seats, mostly at
the Chase Center. Oakland legend Mista fab said the vibe
is now all about rich techies. How is being tight
with Silicon Valley influenced the club for better and for worse?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
It's interesting because everybody compares like what Oracle was to
what Chase Center is now. It has changed the demographic
of you know, who's coming to our games. But it's
a give and take of continuing to elevate the brand
of what, you know, being what Warriors basketball is about,
and obviously championships and all that, but also honoring, you know,
(08:07):
the history of where we've been. That's something for me
that's extremely important. Why you know, our foundation is based
in Oakland, It's where I still have a flag there
and want to continue to represent the community that supported
us for so long.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
And you know.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Business is business is tough, it's there's definitely some hard
parts about it as things evolve, but for us, you know,
I always want to make sure I keep that perspective.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
A lot of teams have left the East Bay. The
Warriors left, which is a little different, the Raiders, the
Oakland A's Now.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I have four kids.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
They love basketball, they love baseball. People are gutted. Like
sports are so important to the economic fabric and cultural
fabric of a community, How does it feel to you
to see these teams leaving?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It absolutely sucks.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I think you mentioned the economic impact of you know,
sports franchises is huge and especially for me on that
like jobs that it creates, it gives a community something
to look forward to, and for me, like that hope
of season starting is a real thing, like it's it's
galvanizes a spirit around a community, and especially a community
(09:15):
is as rich in culture as Oakland is, from the
Raiders to the the A's and the Warriors. So it's
tough to kind of realize we're in that era where
when I was in two thousand and nine when I
got drafted and I pulled up to Oakland Coliseum, there
was something just intoxicating about that.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You could feel the history there.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And now when you go back for a concert or something,
it feels different.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
And so hopefully you know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
The Valkyries will be practicing in Oakland, which is something
but the obviously playing the chase, but you wish it
didn't go down like that because Oakland deserves teams.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But you know, it's the reality right now.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I was hoping Joe Lake would by the as me too.
You did a deal with FTX and did some commercials.
Tom Brady did it too, lots of celebs did what
did you learn from that? Obviously that went super sideways?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Well FTX thing, I shouldn't.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I mean, it went crazy sideways, and you make decisions
based on the facts that you have in front of
you and 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.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
But yeah, it's one.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Of those shots that you took that didn't pan out.
And obviously the legal process is selling itself, and you know,
it's unfortunate the way that it went.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
But for me, again, you you.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Have to acknowledge the losses and obviously understand the learning
lessons of you know, what you went through when it
came to Like I said, I made all decisions based
on the facts that I had in front of me,
and I think it was a shock to a lot
of people, not just me, the way that it turned out.
We take that one in the chain and keep moving.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
You've said you want to own an NBA or a
w NBA team one day, how will you make your mark?
Like with your unique perspective, what would you do differently?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Every fan base is different.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Hopefully that comes to fruition and whatever team, whatever opportunity
it is.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
You'll be able to.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Bring a player and business mindset of the things that
I saw that impacted, you know, the athletes experience on
a day to day basis. I think how you authentically
connect with the community is a big part of any
successful franchise. It's not just about the wins as losses.
It's about how you make your fan base feel on
a day to day basis, and then also being a
(11:39):
mentor to players to understand, no matter where you are
in your career, to get the most out of this
game and to handle it like a professional. And I'm
going to be very patient with it because you want
to make sure it's the right situation for me. And
hopefully again that comes that comes to life, you know,
when my basketball.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Career is over with.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But I think i'd have a very solid respect that
I could add.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
To an ownership group that would hopefully make a difference.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Since Michael Jordan sold his stake in the Charlotte Hornets,
there are no black majority owners in the NBA, despite
the league being over seventy percent African American. Why, like,
why are we still here?
Speaker 4 (12:16):
I don't necessarily know the history of who's been knocking
at the door and hadn't got across the threshold. But
I do know from Bob Johnson you still own the
bobcast to pass it off to Michael Jordan, and the
way that Adam Silver conversations I've had with him understands
that's a priority for representation in the Board of Governor's
(12:38):
room and solving that problem. I think it's something that
will be addressed, something that, to your point, is unacceptable,
and I feel like the more you talk about it,
the more pressure you apply. And I think there are
a lot of different ways now, especially with the evaluations
of teams going through the roof, that creative ways for
(12:58):
more participation from the black and brown community.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
At the ownership level.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
It's not like you're going to have a single the
pool of people that can afford a five plus billion
dollar price tag for a franchise. It's price pretty slim.
But you know, those creative ways to get more representation
in the Board of governors or ownership groups has to
be addressed. And I think every company, not just an
NBA or for sports franchises, but every company needs that representation.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
You endorsed Kamala Harris, but Trump won by a landslide
what's your take on the state of America right now?
Speaker 4 (13:31):
You want to make sure that our country stands for
one affair election which we all have to accept and
agree to that piece of transfer of power and allowing
the country to speak on who they want to represent
the country. Obviously I was, like you said, a supporter
of Vice President Kamala Harrison didn't work out that way.
(13:54):
But like I said, I don't hold it any ill
will or resentment towards the process. I feel like send
our best interest to rally around the leadership to have
a collaborative effort where everything is driven in the spirit
of representing all people fairly and equitably. And that's on
(14:14):
President Donald Trump to do that and who he puts
around him and the accountability towards that leadership.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
That's where the focus is now.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
So you know, these next four years are going to
be interesting for a lot of different reasons, But I
maintain hope and positivity optimism that hopefully will be better
for it.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
You've got olympical You just ex sended your contract a
few years. How will you know when it's time to
hang up your basketball shoes?
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Like?
Speaker 3 (14:41):
How much longer do you want to play?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I have no idea how I'll know, except I've talked
to plenty of people who've been in that situation where
there's two.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Ways to really go out.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Either you're forced out, meaning you just can't play at
this level and you know it.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
You go out on your own terms.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
But I hope to be in a situation where you
kind of consider how your body feels, what it takes
to get ready for games, you know, the off season
training that goes into preparing yourself for an eighty two
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.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
To keep up with the young bucks.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
But I don't think I'm anywhere close to that yet,
So I don't see the time.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know, running out ain't something soon.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You've been called the greatest shooter of all time, You're
compared to Lebron, you're compared to Jordan. You know you
were considered the underdog for so long or you felt
underrated for so long. Do you ever still feel the
pressure of those labels?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Performance anxiety is real.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
I've experienced it every day part of doing or playing
at this level for so long. Is the mental stress
I'll call it of understanding again, what goes into me
getting ready for a Sunday game in Oklahoma City. It
gets a lot, but I still love it. I still
enjoy it, still love the grind of it. It is
(16:02):
a different experience than it was ten years ago because
everything matters in order to get ready for a game.
But other than that, it's all because of the performance anxiety.
And I call it the healthy insecurity of at any point, like,
if I don't live up to my own standards, then
That'll be a kind of an out of body experience,
and I don't ever want to experience that. So you
got to keep trusting the process, if you will, of
(16:25):
what I do.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
How has the regiment You talked about performance anxiety, But
how has the regiment or the routine change as you've
gotten older and more seasoned.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
I think for the last three or four years, I
still feel like I'm in my problem. The body does
feel different after games. You got to accept it. And again,
the routine is you do a little bit less but
more often so it's not a day that I'm not
doing something. When it comes to either strength and additioning
or recovery or some mindfulness to demand something from your body.
(16:55):
The amount of hours you put in are probably the same,
but it's the not so glamorous stuff that people don't
get to see of me in a nce bath or
doing like a forty five minute stretch routine, or getting
soft tissue work ors like doing breathing exercises. Like it's
all over the place, but it's a routine that I
still enjoy because I know it gets me to a
(17:17):
place where I can go out and still hoop at
a high level.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
There's a video of you as a young rookie in
twenty ten talking about where you'll be in ten years time.
What would twenty one year old's stuff think of where
you are today.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I received be super proud and a lot of it's
not just because of the accomplishments, which are beyond my
own imaginations when I was twenty one, 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 just you know, me and I
(17:52):
ushould have been able to do with our foundation, you know,
hopefully provide an example for our four kids and what
it means to leverage your blessings and resources for meaningful
impact in the community that matters.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And the fact that now in.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Year sixteen, which is a big year for me and
my family, my dad played sixteen years in the NBA,
and that was always a goal for me to hit
that milestone.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And now I'm right in the middle of it.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
And I remember vividly his sixteenth year, which was his
last year, and playing in Toronto, and I remember a
lot of those games, and those memories are flooding back,
and so to have that as something that me and
him can share now is pretty special. So it all
is again behind my wildest dreams, is something that I
think twenty one year old me would be super proud.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Okay, last question, what else do you want to achieve?
Where do you see yourself now in ten years time?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Well, basketball will be done by that. I can pretty
much say that for sure. I don't think I'll be
playing anymore.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Are you sure?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
You're sure?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm pretty sure on ten years. But I think between
all the off court entities and just going deep into
everything that I have right now, I don't think I
need more. It just needs to continue to invest in,
you know, He learned play at what we're doing in Oakland.
Hopefully Curry brand is through the moon and the business
that we're doing, you know in domestically internationally who knows
(19:16):
what team ownership looks like, but just everything that I
have going on now to kind of be rocked setting
stone of like stables that when you think of me,
you know, the underrated brand, underrated golf tour and create
an opportunity there.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Like everything that I'm.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Doing, I love, I'm passionate about, and I want to
continue to go deeper. So I've dreamed big before and
out kicked my coverage on that tremendously. So hopefully that
happens again for the next team.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
You got a few more championship brings or a few
more championship.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Trophies, trophy, it will not be because of a lack
of effort.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I'm gonna try my hardest.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Thank you absolutely, thanks so much for listening to this
edition of the Circuit. Please watch the full episode for
a closer look at how Steph Curry is building his
empire off the court, and he teaches me how to
swing a golf club too. I'm Emily Chang. Follow me
on x and Instagram, at Emily Chang TV, and you
can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg Television,
(20:15):
streaming on the Bloomberg app or YouTube. I'm your host
and executive producer. Our showrunner is Lauren Ellis. Our producer
is Edwina o'teira. Our editor is Alison Casey. Thanks for listening.
I'm Emily Chang and this is the circuit. So it's
been a busy summer for NBA superstar Stephen Curry.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Throwing the double the Raptors carry, always on the move,
throw the double game.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
He finally added Olympic gold to his trophy cabinet, staking
his claim to basketball's Mount Rushmore.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
The last three minutes of the gold medal game, what
was happening was just living.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Up to the moment.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
Those last three minutes, it was just how do you
get to the finish line playing France in France, And
you know he understood it was the gold medal game.
First time experiencing that at that stage, storybook stuff for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Throughout his career he's made a habit of betting on
himself and winning big. When he was drafted by the
Golden State Warriors in two thousand and nine, there were
no signs he'd propelled the club to an NBA dynasty.
Now he's one of the greatest shooters of all time,
and sixteen seasons in, he's showing no sign of slowing down.
Off the court, He's been building thirty inc. His collection
(01:04):
of businesses that's span partnerships, media, investments, and philanthropy, and
Curry is betting on himself once again to take his
standalone Curry Brand that he launched with under armour quote
to the move and maybe even take on the undisputed
king of sneakers, Nike, and it's Jordan Brand.
Speaker 4 (01:22):
I think we can have some success at a high
level when it comes to what is ten twenty years
looked like that mirrors Jordan Brand, but does it in
the way that's authentic to work. I stand for what
Curry Brand wants to stand for, and that's not just
here in the US, that's internationally too.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Joining me now, NBA star Steph Curry, We're.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Going to start on the business. You've been wearing the
number thirty since college, all under your thirty inc umbrella
or 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?
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I think I always had that perspective, you just didn't
know what opportunities would be there. I think obviously from
shooting apparel perspective, Like you know, that's always a part
of a basketball player's expression of what are you rocking,
what brand are you repping, and how can you build
(02:19):
that presence off court? So that's been a kind of
steady through line. But then all the other stuff has
been curiosities that turned into substantial business opportunities. And I
think that probably was around the 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,
(02:41):
people that you meet along the way, and just trying
to find a sound approach to managing it all because
it matters who you go into business with.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Let's talk about that. Because you know, a good point
guard needs to know how to run the offense, when
to pass, when to shoot. How did being a basketball
player prepared to run so many different businesses?
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Well, first, going to Davison, it allowed me to have
a perspective of it wasn't just about basketball, Like there
was a nice time management, you know, intellectual journey at
Davidson that kind of gave me a balance as well,
So it wasn't just one hundred percent I'm just going
to the gym and hooping. That's the only thing I
(03:22):
can offer this world. That helped Basketball is not an
individual sport. It requires five people working in Unison. You
got to 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 got to have
a little creativity and a little flair the way I
play at least, so that's helped off the court too.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
You launched the Curry brand with under Armour now nearly
four years ago. A former Nike executive said that if
you had stayed with Nike, your business would have been
a monster. How do you respond to that?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
There's a reason I'm not there. I've always been an
underdo It's kind of my mentality. And when I joined
under omer back in twenty thirteen, had a couple of
signature athletes, Brandon Jennings was the first, but the basketball
roster was pretty slim and basically starting the category from scratch.
So to be a signature athlete for the seven eight
(04:20):
years that I was there, and to then turning it
into 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 sitting where I am right now
that speaks way more than saying, you know, what could
have been with Nike is.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
The ambition to be as big as.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
Aara Jordan my version of that in the sense of
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 court as well.
But launching it four years ago and what we've learned
over the last four years doing what we do great
and understanding this is a merit. It is a true
(05:02):
labor of love and a journey of a lot of
ups and downs. Like there's market conditions that affect the business.
There's wins and losses with the product you put on
the court. And I think for us, as we build
out the roster, continue to expand you know what we're
offering consumers across from me basketball, obviously golf, and eventually
you know, slowly introducing that athletuer's lifestyle kind of presence
(05:26):
to Curry brand. I think we can have some success
at a high level when it comes to what is
ten twenty years looked like that mirrors Jordan brand, but
does it in the way that's authentic to work. I
stand for what Curry Brand wants to stand for. And
that's not just here in the US, that's internationally too.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Yeah, how do you get sneaker heads?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
For us?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
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 bids when it comes to making
athletes better, putting me in a position to continue to
play at this high level in year sixteen. And the
innovation process that comes with that, the design process that
(06:06):
we worked tirelessly on to get right, to continue to
elevate an expectation what it you know you're getting with
Curry Brand product, and also keep perspective like we've been
doing this for not ten years now, eleven was eleven,
but with Curry Brand for four years, and it's going
to continue to take time to develop that expectation.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
They went crazy for you in China, so crazy that
the government had to cut the trip short.
Speaker 4 (06:29):
What was it like.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Seeing that kind of Curry mania abroad?
Speaker 4 (06:32):
I think it was shocking to everybody that was on
the tour. I've done that the Asia tour seven or
eight times. Coming off the Olympic Gold Medal experience. We
had an amazing itinerary setup where we're going to experience
four great cities, have some activations, meet the fans. You know,
we're doing a Curry brand launch that was specific to
(06:53):
the Chinese fans and that went well. But you said
we had to skip a city because there was some
security concerns. I was on hotel arrest for two days
because crowd control problems.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
I'm sure Glad drove you crazy.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
It did, but it was also flattering, obviously because the
demand was crazy and I appreciate that love. So 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 great problems to have and stories
to tell.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
For sure, you've been based in Silicon Valley a long time.
Tech is a huge part of your fandom. Tech folks
vcs now fill up the court side seats, mostly at
the Chase Center. Oakland legend Mista fab said the vibe
is now all about rich techies. How is being tight
with Silicon Valley influenced the club for better and for worse?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (07:46):
It's interesting because everybody compares like what Oracle was to
what Chase Center is now. It has changed the demographic
of you know, who's coming to our games. But it's
a give and take of continuing to elevate the brand
of what, you know, being what Warriors basketball is about,
and obviously championships and all that, but also honoring, you know,
(08:07):
the history of where we've been. That's something for me
that's extremely important. Why you know, our foundation is based
in Oakland, It's where I still have a flag there
and want to continue to represent the community that supported
us for so long.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
And you know.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
Business is business is tough, it's there's definitely some hard
parts about it as things evolve, but for us, you know,
I always want to make sure I keep that perspective.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
A lot of teams have left the East Bay. The
Warriors left, which is a little different, the Raiders, the
Oakland A's Now.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
I have four kids.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
They love basketball, they love baseball. People are gutted. Like
sports are so important to the economic fabric and cultural
fabric of a community, How does it feel to you
to see these teams leaving?
Speaker 2 (08:50):
It absolutely sucks.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
I think you mentioned the economic impact of you know,
sports franchises is huge and especially for me on that
like jobs that it creates, it gives a community something
to look forward to, and for me, like that hope
of season starting is a real thing, like it's it's
galvanizes a spirit around a community, and especially a community
(09:15):
is as rich in culture as Oakland is, from the
Raiders to the the A's and the Warriors. So it's
tough to kind of realize we're in that era where
when I was in two thousand and nine when I
got drafted and I pulled up to Oakland Coliseum, there
was something just intoxicating about that.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
You could feel the history there.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And now when you go back for a concert or something,
it feels different.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
And so hopefully you know.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
The Valkyries will be practicing in Oakland, which is something
but the obviously playing the chase, but you wish it
didn't go down like that because Oakland deserves teams.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
But you know, it's the reality right now.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
I was hoping Joe Lake would by the as me too.
You did a deal with FTX and did some commercials.
Tom Brady did it too, lots of celebs did what
did you learn from that? Obviously that went super sideways?
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Well FTX thing, I shouldn't.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I mean, it went crazy sideways, and you make decisions
based on the facts that you have in front of
you and 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.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
But yeah, it's one.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
Of those shots that you took that didn't pan out.
And obviously the legal process is selling itself, and you know,
it's unfortunate the way that it went.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
But for me, again, you you.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Have to acknowledge the losses and obviously understand the learning
lessons of you know, what you went through when it
came to Like I said, I made all decisions based
on the facts that I had in front of me,
and I think it was a shock to a lot
of people, not just me, the way that it turned out.
We take that one in the chain and keep moving.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
You've said you want to own an NBA or a
w NBA team one day, how will you make your mark?
Like with your unique perspective, what would you do differently?
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Every fan base is different.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Hopefully that comes to fruition and whatever team, whatever opportunity
it is.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
You'll be able to.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Bring a player and business mindset of the things that
I saw that impacted, you know, the athletes experience on
a day to day basis. I think how you authentically
connect with the community is a big part of any
successful franchise. It's not just about the wins as losses.
It's about how you make your fan base feel on
a day to day basis, and then also being a
(11:39):
mentor to players to understand, no matter where you are
in your career, to get the most out of this
game and to handle it like a professional. And I'm
going to be very patient with it because you want
to make sure it's the right situation for me. And
hopefully again that comes that comes to life, you know,
when my basketball.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Career is over with.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But I think i'd have a very solid respect that
I could add.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
To an ownership group that would hopefully make a difference.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Since Michael Jordan sold his stake in the Charlotte Hornets,
there are no black majority owners in the NBA, despite
the league being over seventy percent African American. Why, like,
why are we still here?
Speaker 4 (12:16):
I don't necessarily know the history of who's been knocking
at the door and hadn't got across the threshold. But
I do know from Bob Johnson you still own the
bobcast to pass it off to Michael Jordan, and the
way that Adam Silver conversations I've had with him understands
that's a priority for representation in the Board of Governor's
(12:38):
room and solving that problem. I think it's something that
will be addressed, something that, to your point, is unacceptable,
and I feel like the more you talk about it,
the more pressure you apply. And I think there are
a lot of different ways now, especially with the evaluations
of teams going through the roof, that creative ways for
(12:58):
more participation from the black and brown community.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
At the ownership level.
Speaker 4 (13:03):
It's not like you're going to have a single the
pool of people that can afford a five plus billion
dollar price tag for a franchise. It's price pretty slim.
But you know, those creative ways to get more representation
in the Board of governors or ownership groups has to
be addressed. And I think every company, not just an
NBA or for sports franchises, but every company needs that representation.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
You endorsed Kamala Harris, but Trump won by a landslide
what's your take on the state of America right now?
Speaker 4 (13:31):
You want to make sure that our country stands for
one affair election which we all have to accept and
agree to that piece of transfer of power and allowing
the country to speak on who they want to represent
the country. Obviously I was, like you said, a supporter
of Vice President Kamala Harrison didn't work out that way.
(13:54):
But like I said, I don't hold it any ill
will or resentment towards the process. I feel like send
our best interest to rally around the leadership to have
a collaborative effort where everything is driven in the spirit
of representing all people fairly and equitably. And that's on
(14:14):
President Donald Trump to do that and who he puts
around him and the accountability towards that leadership.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
That's where the focus is now.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
So you know, these next four years are going to
be interesting for a lot of different reasons, But I
maintain hope and positivity optimism that hopefully will be better
for it.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
You've got olympical You just ex sended your contract a
few years. How will you know when it's time to
hang up your basketball shoes?
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Like?
Speaker 3 (14:41):
How much longer do you want to play?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I have no idea how I'll know, except I've talked
to plenty of people who've been in that situation where
there's two.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Ways to really go out.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
Either you're forced out, meaning you just can't play at
this level and you know it.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
You go out on your own terms.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
But I hope to be in a situation where you
kind of consider how your body feels, what it takes
to get ready for games, you know, the off season
training that goes into preparing yourself for an eighty two
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.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
To keep up with the young bucks.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
But I don't think I'm anywhere close to that yet,
So I don't see the time.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
You know, running out ain't something soon.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You've been called the greatest shooter of all time, You're
compared to Lebron, you're compared to Jordan. You know you
were considered the underdog for so long or you felt
underrated for so long. Do you ever still feel the
pressure of those labels?
Speaker 2 (15:39):
Performance anxiety is real.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
I've experienced it every day part of doing or playing
at this level for so long. Is the mental stress
I'll call it of understanding again, what goes into me
getting ready for a Sunday game in Oklahoma City. It
gets a lot, but I still love it. I still
enjoy it, still love the grind of it. It is
(16:02):
a different experience than it was ten years ago because
everything matters in order to get ready for a game.
But other than that, it's all because of the performance anxiety.
And I call it the healthy insecurity of at any point, like,
if I don't live up to my own standards, then
That'll be a kind of an out of body experience,
and I don't ever want to experience that. So you
got to keep trusting the process, if you will, of
(16:25):
what I do.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
How has the regiment You talked about performance anxiety, But
how has the regiment or the routine change as you've
gotten older and more seasoned.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
I think for the last three or four years, I
still feel like I'm in my problem. The body does
feel different after games. You got to accept it. And again,
the routine is you do a little bit less but
more often so it's not a day that I'm not
doing something. When it comes to either strength and additioning
or recovery or some mindfulness to demand something from your body.
(16:55):
The amount of hours you put in are probably the same,
but it's the not so glamorous stuff that people don't
get to see of me in a nce bath or
doing like a forty five minute stretch routine, or getting
soft tissue work ors like doing breathing exercises. Like it's
all over the place, but it's a routine that I
still enjoy because I know it gets me to a
(17:17):
place where I can go out and still hoop at
a high level.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
There's a video of you as a young rookie in
twenty ten talking about where you'll be in ten years time.
What would twenty one year old's stuff think of where
you are today.
Speaker 4 (17:31):
I received be super proud and a lot of it's
not just because of the accomplishments, which are beyond my
own imaginations when I was twenty one, 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 just you know, me and I
(17:52):
ushould have been able to do with our foundation, you know,
hopefully provide an example for our four kids and what
it means to leverage your blessings and resources for meaningful
impact in the community that matters.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
And the fact that now in.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
Year sixteen, which is a big year for me and
my family, my dad played sixteen years in the NBA,
and that was always a goal for me to hit
that milestone.
Speaker 2 (18:15):
And now I'm right in the middle of it.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
And I remember vividly his sixteenth year, which was his
last year, and playing in Toronto, and I remember a
lot of those games, and those memories are flooding back,
and so to have that as something that me and
him can share now is pretty special. So it all
is again behind my wildest dreams, is something that I
think twenty one year old me would be super proud.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Okay, last question, what else do you want to achieve?
Where do you see yourself now in ten years time?
Speaker 4 (18:45):
Well, basketball will be done by that. I can pretty
much say that for sure. I don't think I'll be
playing anymore.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Are you sure?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
You're sure?
Speaker 4 (18:52):
I'm pretty sure on ten years. But I think between
all the off court entities and just going deep into
everything that I have right now, I don't think I
need more. It just needs to continue to invest in,
you know, He learned play at what we're doing in Oakland.
Hopefully Curry brand is through the moon and the business
that we're doing, you know in domestically internationally who knows
(19:16):
what team ownership looks like, but just everything that I
have going on now to kind of be rocked setting
stone of like stables that when you think of me,
you know, the underrated brand, underrated golf tour and create
an opportunity there.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Like everything that I'm.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
Doing, I love, I'm passionate about, and I want to
continue to go deeper. So I've dreamed big before and
out kicked my coverage on that tremendously. So hopefully that
happens again for the next team.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
You got a few more championship brings or a few
more championship.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Trophies, trophy, it will not be because of a lack
of effort.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
I'm gonna try my hardest.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Thank you absolutely, thanks so much for listening to this
edition of the Circuit. Please watch the full episode for
a closer look at how Steph Curry is building his
empire off the court, and he teaches me how to
swing a golf club too. I'm Emily Chang. Follow me
on x and Instagram, at Emily Chang TV, and you
can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg Television,
(20:15):
streaming on the Bloomberg app or YouTube. I'm your host
and executive producer. Our showrunner is Lauren Ellis. Our producer
is Edwina o'teira. Our editor is Alison Casey. Thanks for listening.
Host
Emily Chang
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