SAN FRANCISCO: NBA star and Golden State Warriors (GSW) captain Stephen Curry Wednesday announced a global, multi-year deal with Japan’s largest e-commerce firm, Rakuten.
As part of the agreement, Curry will be the face of the firm’s marketing strategy in the USA, as it looks to expand its base in the country. The company is also the official jersey-badge sponsor of GSW and one of NBA’s official partners. In Europe, it also sponsors FC Barcelona in the La Liga.
Rakuten has also agreed to come on board as title sponsor of Curry’s new initiative ‘Underrated Tour’, which aims at giving unsigned, below 3-star rated high school basketball players a golden opportunity to refine their skills, gain bigger exposure and understanding of the game to harbour chances of making it to the next level.
“We’re putting kids — kids who love to hoop, and who should be out there exploring that love — in a situation where a bunch of limits are being placed on them by other people. A situation where the limits of what they can accomplish are being put in place before they’ve gotten to test those limits for themselves,” Curry said in The Players’ Tribune.
“And so that’s the idea behind The Underrated Tour: to create a basketball camp, in partnership with Rakuten, for any unsigned high school players rated three stars and below. A camp for high school kids who love to hoop, and are looking for the chance to show scouts that their perceived weaknesses might actually be their secret strengths. And most of all? A camp for anyone who just isn’t willing to let the rest of the world write their story.”
Athletes participating in the Underrated camps will receive best-in-class resources, tips and hands-on training from elite coaches including Curry’s trainer Brandon Payne. Instruction will include fundamental basketball skills, scrimmage games, dribbling, defensive techniques and, of course, shooting drills. Camps will also include lectures from special guests, team-building exercises and lessons on collegiate needs and NCAA eligibility. “
The global team at Rakuten is immensely excited to launch our partnership with Stephen Curry, one of the greatest players in the NBA today and one who has relentlessly pushed boundaries and turned established expectations on their head with his achievements,” Rakuten founder and CEO Mickey Mikitani said.
“This new partnership between Curry and Rakuten is rooted in shared values and experiences: With remarkable track records of disruptive innovation, we continue to set the bar to even greater heights because we are passionate about empowering society and we believe in the future.”
“The underrated tour is Stephen’s brainchild, rooted in meaningful and authentic insights from his journey,” Curry’s business partner Jerom Smith said.
“We saw a unique opportunity to shine a light on Steph’s story in a way that hasn’t been done before and inspire the next generation of underrated athletes. This is the latest example of Steph using his platform to make a difference and we’re thrilled to partner with Rakuten to help empower others.”
The tour tips off on 19 January in Los Angeles and will continue in cities around the USA namely Washington D.C, Phoenix (girls-only), Charlotte, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and Oakland.
