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On Tuesday, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank expressed support for President Donald Trump in a CNBC interview, saying: “To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country.” His comment angered a lot of people and they began to call for a boycott on social media. Plank’s comment also caused an issue with UA’s biggest star, Stephen Curry.
“I agree with that description,” Curry told The Mercury News. “if you remove the ‘et’ from asset.”
Plank released a statement Wednesday clarifying his comments, saying they were from a business perspective and not reflective of the company’s social stance. The company also distanced itself from some of Trump’s more controversial positions, saying it advocates for free trade and inclusive immigration policy.
“I spent all day yesterday on the phone, with countless people at Under Armour, countless people in Kevin Plank’s camp, my team, trying to understand what was going on and where everybody stood on the issue,” Curry continued. “Based off the release that KP sent out this morning and what he told me last night, that’s the Under Armour that I know. That’s the brand I know he’s built and one that, as of Wednesday afternoon, is something that I’m standing on.”
Asked if he would consider leaving the company if he didn’t like its direction, Curry did not dismiss the possibility.
“If there is a situation where I can look at myself in the mirror and say they don’t have my best intentions, they don’t have the right attitude about taking care of people,” Curry said. “If I can say the leadership is not in line with my core values, then there is no amount of money, there is no platform I wouldn’t jump off if it wasn’t in line with who I am. So that’s a decision I will make every single day when I wake up.
“If something is not in line with what I’m about, then, yeah, I definitely need to take a stance in that respect.”
Curry’s business last year for Under Armour was worth $200 million. He improved both profitability and visibility for the company. He’s under no pressure to watch his speech; he can leave if he wants and is guaranteed that Nike and Adidas would be knocking on his door with a big contract.
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