The Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry Is The Best Value In Sports
In today’s sports world of big contracts and even bigger egos, the Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry may be the most valuable player in sports. In an era where just being adequate can garner an athlete millions of dollars, it is rare to have a superstar whose contract can honestly be looked at as a steal. However, Stephen Curry is not the typical superstar.
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If there was ever a time to be a NBA free agent, this was the summer. Mega deals were being given out like two for one coupons at your local Denny’s restaurant. From “Franchise Players” to your run of the mill sixth or seventh man coming off the bench, the money being spent seemed to keep rising. With the promise of a sky-rocketing salary cap looming in the near future, it appears teams pocket books have doubled in size. No longer are big pay days looked upon as risky endeavors, but as potential franchise changing signatures.
Today’s top athletes have the potential to make more money off the court or field with one deal, than their predecessors made in their entire playing career. Shoe endorsements have become a battle of who can land the next Micheal Jordan. The player that can single handily turn a profitable company into a world phenomenon.
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In 2014, rising sports apparel company, Under Armour, tried to lure NBA mega-star Kevin Durant away from Nike by offering the Oklahoma City Thunder dynamic franchise player a deal worth between $265 million and $285 million over 10 years. Durant chose to stay with Nike and signed a 10 year extension, worth up to $300 million, but it was obvious, “It’s gotta be the shoes” was more than a Spike Lee line. Adidas recently made a bid for MVP runner-up James Harden, offering “The Beard” $200 million over 13 years.
There is no doubt Kevin Durant and James Harden are stars, and in Durant’s case a “Mega Star”who signed his deal coming off a MVP season. Some may say Durant benefited from perfect timing, and everyone knows when it comes to contracts, timing is a very important element. While Durant was able to capitalize off his MVP campaign right away, Stephen Curry may have to be patient for his game-changing mega deal. Like his current NBA contract, Curry’s Under Armour deal was signed before his popularity and fame reached astronomical heights.
Curry was initially under contract with Nike for his first four years in the NBA. Under Armour offered Curry a little under $4 million per year which Nike refused to match. Since Curry has partnered up with Under Armour and created “The Curry One”, Under Armour has risen into the number two position in the shoe market, and in the second quarter of 2015, when Curry won MVP and the Warriors won the title, Under Armour’s basketball shoe sales grew 754% in that category, according to businessinsider.com.
Curry made a little over $10.6 million last season, which is less than players like Andrea Bargnani, Javale McGee (who was waived in mid-season) and Ty Lawson to name a few, and none of those players have come close to reaching the MVP level of the Splash Brother.
So it appears the reigning MVP seems to be the biggest bargain in sports, but the fact is that Curry seems content (for now) letting his contract’s play out. He’s not demanding a more lucrative deal. This seems to be common practice in today’s sports world, and it shows no matter how big the deal is, Curry’s ego won’t grow with it.