The announcement by Stephen Curry, one of pro basketball’s biggest stars, that he had signed a major endorsement deal with the Chinese sportswear brand Li-Ning raises the profile of a company that has lacked the cachet of Western brands like Nike or Adidas.

职业篮球界最耀眼的明星之一史蒂芬·库里宣布与中国运动服装品牌李宁签署了一项重大代言协议。这提升了李宁的知名度——此前该品牌一直缺乏耐克或阿迪达斯等西方品牌所具备的声望。

The agreement, which Mr. Curry announced on Monday, is set to give the N.B.A. star access to China’s enormous consumer base, while offering Li-Ning its biggest ever inroad into the U.S. sportswear market.

库里于周一宣布了这项协议。该协议不仅将为这位NBA球星打开通往中国庞大消费者群体的大门，同时也将为李宁进军美国运动服装市场提供有史以来最大的契机。

Under the partnership, Mr. Curry, the N.B.A.’s three-point record-holder and point guard for the Golden State Warriors, will bring his Curry Brand of basketball shoes and apparel to the Chinese company. It will also allow him to sign athletes under his brand, according to ESPN.

根据这项合作关系，NBA三分球纪录保持者、金州勇士队控球后卫库里，将把他的库里品牌(Curry Brand)篮球鞋和服饰系列带入这家中国公司。据ESPN报道，该协议还将允许他以自己的品牌名义签约其他运动员。

Here’s what to know about Li-Ning and the deal.

以下是关于李宁及此次合作协议的要点。

What is Li-Ning?

李宁是什么？

Li-Ning was created in 1990 by the Chinese gymnast Li Ning, who won six medals, including three golds, at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He retired in 1988 and soon after founded his sportswear brand.

李宁品牌由中国体操运动员李宁于1990年创立。他曾在1984年洛杉矶奥运会上获得六枚奖牌，其中包括三枚金牌。他于1988年退役，随后不久创立了自己的运动服装品牌。

The company initially focused on providing sportswear for Chinese consumers, outfitting the country’s Olympic delegations and occasionally sponsoring professional tennis players. After going public in 2004, it signed footwear deals with N.B.A. players including Shaquille O’Neal and Baron Davis.

该公司最初致力于为中国消费者提供运动服，为国家奥运代表团提供装备，并偶尔赞助职业网球运动员。2004年上市后，它与包括沙奎尔·奥尼尔和拜伦·戴维斯在内的多名NBA球员签署了球鞋合约。

In 2012, it signed the Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade and began producing his Way of Wade line.

2012年，它签约了迈阿密热火队球星德维恩·韦德，开始生产他的“韦德之道”(Way of Wade)系列产品。

The company is one of China’s most successful sportswear brands and reported $4.3 billion in revenue last year, though nearly all of its earnings come from domestic sales, according to the company’s publicly available financial reports.

该公司是中国最成功的运动服装品牌之一，据该公司公开的财务报告显示，公司去年营收达到43亿美元，尽管几乎所有的收益都来自国内销售。

With the Curry deal, Li-Ning is likely hoping to expand its global reach.

通过与库里的合作，李宁可能希望扩大其全球影响力。

What’s in the Curry deal?

库里的协议包含哪些内容？

The 10-year agreement includes plans for basketball, athleisure and golf products, according to ESPN. (Mr. Curry, 38, is an avid golfer and sees the sport as part of his post-basketball career.)

据ESPN报道，这项为期10年的协议涵盖了篮球、运动休闲和高尔夫产品的计划。（38岁的库里是狂热的高尔夫球爱好者，并将这项运动视为篮球退役后职业规划的一部分。）

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. But it includes plans to build brick-and-mortar Curry Brand stores across the United States and China, according to Mr. Curry.

该协议的财务条款尚未披露。但据库里表示，其中包括在全美和中国建立库里品牌实体店的计划。

The basketball star parted ways with his previous sponsor, the American sportswear maker Under Armour, in 2025 after a 12-year partnership. The terms of the split allowed Mr. Curry to keep his personal brand and take it to another company.

这位篮球巨星于2025年结束了与前赞助商、美国运动服装制造商安德玛长达12年的合作关系。分手条款允许库里保留他的个人品牌，并将其带到另一家公司。

Why did he choose Li-Ning?

他为什么选择李宁？

Mr. Curry’s split with Under Armour, which has been struggling financially, led to speculation about which brand he might sign with. Fans and sportswear enthusiasts dissected and obsessed over his shoe choices over months as he tried various brands of footwear in pregame warm-ups.

库里与深陷财务困境的安德玛解约后，外界纷纷猜测他将与哪个品牌签约。几个月来，他在赛前热身中尝试了各种品牌的鞋子。球迷和运动服装爱好者对他的选择进行了深入剖析和痴迷讨论。

库里穿着李宁运动鞋。

Mr. Curry wrote on Monday that during his “sneaker free agency,” he was impressed by the quality and comfort of Li-Ning shoes, and by its founder, who was also an athlete.

库里在周一写道，在他的“运动鞋自由身”时期，李宁运动鞋的质量和舒适度给他留下了深刻印象，该公司同为运动员出身的创始人也是如此。

The deal also reflects the desire of A-list athletes like Mr. Curry to expand their brand beyond the playing field. He instantly becomes Li-Ning’s biggest name, and in his announcement he signaled that he sees the future of Curry Brand as a global enterprise, with Li-Ning helping to power its growth.

这项协议也反映了库里这样的一线运动员希望将个人品牌拓展到赛场之外的愿望。他立刻成为李宁名气最大的代言人，在声明中，他透露自己将库里品牌的未来定位为全球性企业，而李宁将助力其发展。

“Curry Brand will now have an expanded runway of resources and a global footprint to bring new best-in-class innovations and amazing products to people around the world,” Mr. Curry wrote.

“库里品牌现在将拥有更广阔的资源平台和全球足迹，为世界各地带来行业领先的创新成果和卓越产品，”库里写道。

What does the deal say about Chinese brands?

这项协议对中国品牌意味着什么？

For decades, the N.B.A. has been dominated by Western brands including Nike and Adidas. But the Curry deal is the latest example of an N.B.A. star signing with a Chinese company. Others include Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving with Anta and Aaron Gordon with 361 Degrees.

几十年来，NBA一直由包括耐克和阿迪达斯在内的西方品牌主导。但库里的协议是NBA球星与中国公司签约的最新案例。其他例子还包括克莱·汤普森和凯里·欧文签约安踏，以及阿隆·戈登签约361度。

运动品牌李宁最初专注于为中国消费者和运动员提供运动服装。

By making Mr. Curry as the new face of its brand, Li-Ning looks to be moving more aggressively into the U.S. market. Other Chinese brands are also trying to find customers in the United States, as they work to escape cutthroat competition and a sluggish economy at home.

通过让库里担任品牌新代言人，李宁似乎正在更积极地进军美国市场。其他中国品牌也在努力开拓美国市场，以期摆脱国内残酷的竞争和疲软的经济。