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Fact check: No indication Steph Curry's split with Nike involved religious verses

Nayeli Lomeli   | Paste BN
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The claim: Steph Curry ended his deal with Nike after the company didn’t let him write Bible verses on his shoes

In 2013, Steph Curry signed with Under Armour after wearing Nike sneakers during his first four years in the NBA. Two years later, he extended the endorsement deal through 2024.

ESPN reported that Nike couldn't match the offer Under Armour made to the Golden State Warriors guard, but a Facebook post claims Curry had a different reason to end his deal with Nike.

"Steph Curry had to make a decision to either stop writing scripture in his shoe before every game while wearing Nikes, or wear a sneaker made by a company who would support his vision," reads a July 5 post. "Steph Curry decided that his faith was more important that (sic) the fortune he earned from Nike, so he cancelled his deal with Nike and now wears Under Armor sneakers and they print the scripture in his shoes for him." 

Above the text is an image of a pair of blue, white and yellow Under Armour sneakers with the words "I can do all things..." written on the side.

This is the beginning of the Philippians 4:13 Bible verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," which Curry said has been written in variations on his shoes since his college days, according to ESPN. 

The post accumulated more than 1,200 interactions in the first week, and users expressed their support.

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Under Armour pre-prints Curry's message on the midsole of the version of his shoe sold in stores, according to ESPN. But there is no indication Nike was against this idea. 

Paste BN reached out to the user who made the post for comment. 

No official comment from Nike or Curry about opposition

Curry said his mother challenged him to find his own inspiration as he began his basketball career, and that's when he found the Philippians verse.

"It's a mantra that I live by, and something that drives me every single day," Curry told ESPN. 

In 2018, Nick DePaula, who covers the sneaker industry for ESPN, noted that some of Curry's messages on his shoes include, "I Can Do All Things," "WSC," "Phil 4:13" and "Romans 8:28." 

Under Armour is conscious of Curry's pregame ritual and leaves some space at the front of each shoe for him to write his message, according to ESPN. 

Curry released his first shoe, Curry One, with Under Armour in 2015.

A picture from Getty Images shows the words "I Can Do All Things" written on a pair of shoes he wore in 2016.

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Paste BN found no mention from Nike or Curry indicating the company's opposition to having Bible verses on sneakers and reached out to both parties for comment.

Our rating: False

The claim that Curry ended his deal with Nike after the company didn’t let him write Bible verses on his shoes is FALSE, based on our research. Curry signed with Under Armour after Nike couldn't match the deal it offered him. There is no indication he cut ties with Nike over religion or because the company didn't allow him to have scriptures written on his shoes.

Our fact-checking sources:

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