Under Armour is being criticized for failing to build its brand around Tom Brady and Steph Curry in the way their legendary careers deserved.
The argument hits because both athletes gave the company something rare. Brady represented football greatness, while Curry changed the way basketball was played.
That is why this goes beyond simple marketing hindsight. Under Armour had two era-defining stars in different sports, and the question is whether it ever truly maximized either one.
NFL expert says Under Armour failed to build enough around Tom Brady
In a recent Jonny Root X post, he argued that Under Armour missed a massive opportunity after once being one of the most visible brands in youth football.
“It can’t be stated nearly enough how much Under Armour fumbled the bag. This brand used to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, for youth sports, specifically football (click clack),” Root tweeted.
He added, “They did a terrible job of building a brand around the GOAT of football, Tom Brady.”
Brady joined Under Armour after leaving Nike and spent years tied to the company while winning titles, extending his career and becoming the most successful quarterback the NFL has ever seen.
But the brand never turned him into a football equivalent of a Jordan-style signature empire. Brady was visible, but the partnership never felt like the central identity of football apparel in the way his career dominance suggested it could have been.
Under Armour’s Steph Curry split makes Tom Brady criticism look even louder
Root then pointed to Curry as the even bigger miss, because basketball shoes and signature lines offer a clearer path to cultural dominance.
“And the way they dropped the ball with Steph Curry, is almost unforgivable. They could’ve made him the biggest sports shoe/ apparel brand ever, only behind the Jordan brand,” Root concluded.
Curry signed with Under Armour in 2013, launched Curry Brand in 2020, and later reached a long-term deal that was described as potentially lasting beyond his playing career.
But that partnership ended in 2025, with Curry Brand separating from Under Armour before Curry later moved into a major new chapter with Li-Ning.
That is why the criticism stings. Curry was not just a star wearing shoes; he changed basketball with his shooting, won championships and became a youth-sports icon in his own right.
Under Armour had Brady for football and Curry for basketball, yet both stories now feel like missed chances to build something much bigger than standard endorsement deals.
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