How Under Armour signed Stephen Curry away from Nike

In 2013, Stephen Curry shocked the sneaker world by signing with then-upstart athletic company Under Armour over basketball powerhouse Nike .

At the time, Nike controlled the vast majority of the NBA sneaker market. Under Armour was virtually unheard of in the basketball space.

"We're the underdog brand. We're for the ones that were maybe born not big enough or tall enough or fast enough, or strong enough, or smart enough or clever enough," said Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank.

The deal was considered a defining moment in Curry's business career, and it got done in part thanks to Curry's locker mate at the Golden State Warriors, Kent Bazemore.

Plank wanted Curry to be the brand's first big star. But he knew that to sign someone of Curry's caliber, the compa