Kevin Durant loves playing alongside Steph Curry.
But he definitely doesn’t love Curry’s choice of kicks.
In an interview with Bill Simmons on “The Ringer” podcast that was released Monday, Durant explained why talented recruits don’t play at Maryland, and said it had plenty to do with the university’s apparel deal with Under Armour.
“Shoe companies have a real, real big influence on where these kids go,” Durant said. “Nobody wants to play in Under Armours. I’m sorry. The top kids don’t because they all play Nike.”
Curry, of course, is endorsed by Under Armour and is therefore obligated to wear the shoe, but the brand hasn’t exactly caught on in popularity with the younger generation according to Durant.
“Everybody knows that, they just don’t want to say nothing,” Durant said. “But the kids that play that grew up in an Under Armour system, they go to Maryland.”
Durant grew up in Washington, D.C., which is less than 10 miles away from the University of Maryland and a slew of other prominent universities like Georgetown. Instead of staying local, Durant opted to play his college ball at Texas.
Under Armour is also based in Baltimore, Maryland, which is about 40 miles outside of Washington, D.C.
Will Curry defend the Under Armour brand publicly after Durant’s recent comments? There’s still plenty of time for the NBA offseason to take on more storylines.