Bruce Lee’s love of invention served as the inspiration for Stephen Curry’s latest clothing and footwear.

Bruce Lee and Stephen Curry have a lot in common, including being born in the Year of the Dragon, having close links to Oakland, California, and having had a significant impact on the development of their respective fields.

In addition to being the Year of the Dragon, 2024 will also commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stan Lee’s tragic passing and the premiere of his highly regarded movie Enter the Dragon. In celebration of the Hollywood and martial arts superstar, Lee, Curry Brand launched the first chapter of a collaboration on his birthday today.

Curry 11 ‘Fire,’ Curry 1 FloTro Luxe ‘Earth,’ and Curry SlipSpeed are part of the initial drop. Prior to the Lunar New Year on January 5, there will be a second Curry SlipSpeed, the Curry 11 “Wind,” and the Curry 11 “Future Dragon” in the drop. 

The Curry Brand website allows athletes and fans to see the whole collection. FanNation Kicks met with Shannon Lee of The Bruce Lee Family Companies and Steven Segears of Under Armour as part of the exciting announcement.

An iconic figure in popular culture is Bruce Lee. What convinced both of them that this was a suitable match?

Shannon: “There’s a perfect match here. I consider my father to be an inventor, and in Steph I see someone who has really altered the game of basketball. They both, in my opinion, have lovely legacies. Both of them strive to improve people’s lives and the game as well as the globe. Furthermore, Steph is not just skilled at the game but also really enthusiastic about it. I really connect my father with him because of the excitement he exudes in his play, agility, and attitude.”

Steven: “Everyone at Curry Brand is a huge admirer of Bruce, his contributions, and all he has accomplished. We thus had no choice but to seize the chance when it presented itself. This is one of our greatest joint ventures and prospects to date.”

How crucial was it that things be done correctly?

Steven: “From our perspective, that was quite significant. We decided not to utilize what other companies had used when we initially spoke with Shannon and Dennis. We thus know that Enter the Dragon has served as an inspiration for several companies. Since Bruce Lee was a huge admirer of the elements of Earth, wind, fire, and water, we wanted to include it into our storyline for this one. As a result, Bruce Lee drew a lot of his artwork to demonstrate how the moves should be performed. In fact, Shannon and Dennis provide us access to that piece of art. It was a significant occasion for us.

Shannon: “Let me just say that our partnership has been absolutely fantastic. The profundity, the philosophy, and the meticulous attention to detail are really appreciated. The urge to delve deeply and create something unique, unforgettable, and very alive. It has a really vital, lively, and contemporary vibe about it. We have really relished it.”

There are easter eggs and really fine details on every shoe. How challenging was it to put into practice, and how happy are you with the results?

Steven: “You underestimated how difficult it was. It was made easy by the beauty of the art. We made a little addition only for Curry’s benefit. However, the SlipSpeed shoes made of canvas were the ones we added. Thus, it is the only outcome of this partnership that isn’t truly the result of many other partnerships.”

Finally, what aspect of the partnership is your favorite?

Shannon: “They feel so happy and alive, even though I’ve previously said this. And I like the depths we explored. In addition, I like the ingenuity as they created a whole new kind of sneaker. I like it because I believe that everything comes down to the happiness I’m describing.”

Steven: “In order to maintain the Year of the Dragon motif, we were able to add a scale print on the Curry 11. The “Destroy the image” moment from the film is another one of our all-time favorites. In fact, we were inspired by that incident to build the “Future Dragon” sneaker, which will be available in January. I thought the shoe, with the broken glass running throughout, was the most exquisite one in the assortment. I work as a storyteller because I like it so much. However, I believe that one is the best of the bunch; it’s got to be my all-time favorite. It’s a very potent compilation.”