The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship and became the most successful NBA franchise ever. Earlier in February Boston’s majority owner Wyc Grousbeck said they are in production for a documentary series along the lines of Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance.” Many legends think there is a possibility the Celtics could create a chokehold on the league. Evan Turner believed it could be like the Warriors where Jayson Tatum could be the new face like Stephen Curry during his “Dubs” era.
On their Point Forward podcast, Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner discussed the possibility of the Celtics Dynasty run. The former NBA teammates with the Philadelphia 76erssaid Boston did the right thing drafting young Tatum and Jaylen Brown and giving them time to develop. They were 19 and 20 years old respectively when they were first drafted into the league. And now they are at the peak of their careers.
Iguodala said there is a chance that Tatum would be the next face of the league due to his perception of being corny. Turner said on the Point Forward podcast, “They trying to do my man bogus because he ain’t corny.” The fans’ feelings regarding Tatum recently increased due to his use of famous phrases from other celebrities. He even used Curry’s famous phrase when he defeated the Celtics back in 2022, “What you gonna say now? What you gonna say now?”
Evan Turner also made the comparison where Curry failed to match Jordan’s hype. “I’m not calling like Stephan and them corny.” He just felt marketing-wise they lacked personality and were very “beige.” Further explaining he said, ” I’m just saying they should have had the World by like off like Steph Curry’s shoes should be Jordan stock.”
Turner clarified that it wasn’t Curry’s fault but from a marketing standpoint, things could have been better. Since they were one of the dominating teams right steps weren’t taken to elevate the Curry Brand. In February it was reported that Curry’s association with Under Armour was suffering losses worth $120 million.
Analyzing Evan Turner’s comparison of Jordan Brand and Curry Brand
Under Armour reported a 12% drop in North American revenue, a $120 million loss compared to last year’s revenue of $1 billion. As per the press release of May 2024, North American revenue further decreased 10 percent to $772 million. Curry also got $75 million in stock as part of his compensation package, according to regulatory filings. As part of the arrangement, he became president of the Curry Brand.
Currently, Curry Brand’s $250 million in yearly sales is nowhere near Jordan Brand’s $5 billion in annual sales. There seems to be a lack of connection between fans and the Warriors player which Turner had identified. But they could have changed it but missed the chance to sign the biggest prospect of the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark before agreeing with Nike and its historic eight-year, $28 million had offers from both Curry’s Under Armour and Adidas. Curry was part of the pitch meeting but joined via FaceTime. As per USA Today’s The Rookie Wire, Clark is set to become the first Fever player with a signature shoe, joining a select group of five current players with such deals. Among them are Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, along with Candace Parker of the Las Vegas Aces and Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, all with their own signature footwear.
Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.