ONE STEPH AHEAD

"It's not the size of the dog but the fight in the dog" a Mark Twain quote that still carries weight today and even in human form. The form of Steph Curry, NBA Finals MVP and now Madison Avenue endorsement machine.

Did you know Steph's shoe the Curry One is of Under Armour's hottest product or that Nike turned Curry down for a contract renewal? Thinking he couldn't deliver the sales number commensurate with the new deal UA had on the table they opted out. Well don't feel sorry for Nike as long as they have LeBron James in their portfolio and the Jordan Brand partnership.

Under Armour

Steph Curry has given life to the little man in sports again and raised the profile of his brand in the process. He has single-handedly refuted the argument that only the big men can carry the product to the checkout register. Steph currently has deals in place with Apple, State Farm, JBL, Muscle Milk and more. Not bad for a guy whose been overlooked most of his life until he set the NBA nets on fire leading up to the championship last season.

YouTube

Curry knows his skill set, has refined them and with the NBA Curry pedigree delivered one of the most marketable players on the planet. Throw in his devout religious platform which he unabashedly makes public at every turn and you have a modern day player with an old school presence. He has somehow mixed the right blend of swag with humility as if he were a bartender creating the perfect happy hour cocktail. Everyone may have the same ingredients but the mix is the key. I have a name for it, "Swagumility™"

To underscore his value even more what little controversy that befalls him, as in his daughter at the press conference, turns the table on those who complained showing their ineptness at staying focused in a press conference as if she interrupted a council on world peace.

Riley Curry - Pinterest

Steph Curry has given thousands upon thousands of kids the right to dream big again. The same way Mugsy Bogues did for his generation and Nate "Tiny" Archibald did for his. Yes could throw Allen Iverson in the mix but I think my point is these guys were not only small but also not given a chance to excel at the next level,  something we never doubted about AI. But what Steph also shows is how it's done. Hours upon hours of practice; prayer time; game film and swagumility™. The perfect blend that makes him the perfect pitch man for so many products to stand out in a endorsement cluttered space flooding our TV's, magazines and web pages.

Yes he has the accomplishments and the skills. No doubt he has the voice and enunciation, command of the english language that makes him relatable to those outside the sports world. But more than all of that he has himself. He knows who he is and whose he is. When you have those two answers defined everything is possible and appreciated. Steph Curry is on a roll and I couldn't be happier; I mean I look up to him in success and in height so I count this as a win for me as well. That's the way I see it sitting in The Box Seat. I'm Wayne Box Miller.