Trio of Under Armour-sponsored athletes bash CEO Kevin Plank for his praise of Trump
By Greg Hadley
ghadley@mcclatchy.com
February 09, 2017 10:13 PM
Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank has come under fire from some of his own athletes for his praise of President Donald Trump. Seth WenigAP
Three of Under Armour’s most high-profile athletes have publicly rebuked the company’s CEO, Kevin Plank, for calling President Donald Trump a “real asset” and praising him for his pro-business policies.
NBA star Stephen Curry, actor and professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and ballerina Misty Copeland have all voiced their disagreement with Plank’s comments on Trump, which were made in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday.
Speaking with the Mercury News, Curry said he agreed with Plank, “if you remove the ‘et’” from asset. Curry also said he had reached out to Plank, who is also on a manufacturing council appointed by Trump, for an explanation, and the sports apparel executive told him he was solely referring to Trump’s business policies, not his policies regarding women, refugees, immigrants and minorities.
Curry told the Mercury News he will continue his relationship with Under Armour but also made it clear that he would leave the company if he felt it conflicted with his values.
“His words were divisive and lacking in perspective, inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of UA’s partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO,” Johnson wrote.
I appreciate and welcome the feedback from people who disagree (and agree) with Kevin Plank's words on CNBC, but these are neither my words, nor my beliefs. His words were divisive and lacking in perspective. Inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of UA’s partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO. A good company is not solely defined by its CEO. A good company is not defined by the athlete or celebrity who partners with them. A good company is not a single person. A good company is a team, a group of brothers and sisters committed to working together each and every day to provide for their families and one another and the clients they serve. We don’t partner with a brand casually. I partner with brands I trust and with people who share my same values. That means a commitment to diversity, inclusion, community, open-mindedness and some serious hard work. But it doesn't mean that I or my team will always agree with the opinion of everyone who works there, including its executives. Great leaders inspire and galvanize the masses during turbulent times, they don't cause people to divide and disband. My responsibility here is not only to the global audience we serve, but also to the thousands of workers who pour blood, sweat, and tears into making Under Armour strong. A diverse group of hardworking men and women who possess integrity, respect and compassion for one another and the world they live in. Debate is healthy. But in a time of widespread disagreement, so is loyalty. I feel an obligation to stand with this diverse team, the American and global workers, who are the beating heart and soul of Under Armour and the reason I chose to partner with them. My commitment is as real as my sweat and callouses that thicken daily. #CommittedToThePeople
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Johnson also said the main reason for his continued commitment to Under Armour was the “diverse group of hardworking men and women who possess integrity, respect and compassion for one another and the world they live in” that work for the company.
Copeland also issued a statement on Instagram, saying she had also spoken to Plank and that she “strongly” disagreed with his statements. She also called on him to “take public action to clearly communicate and reflect our common values.”
I have always appreciated the great support and platform that Under Armour has given me to represent my community, gender, and career on the world stage. However, I strongly disagree with Kevin Plank's recent comments in support of Trump as recently reported. Those of you who have supported and followed my career know that the one topic I've never backed away from speaking openly about is the importance of diversity and inclusion. It is imperative to me that my partners and sponsors share this belief. I have spoken at length with Kevin privately about the matter, but as someone who takes my responsibility as a role model very seriously, it is important to me that he, and UA, take public action to clearly communicate and reflect our common values in order for us to effectively continue to work towards our shared goal of trying to motivate ALL people to be their best selves.
A photo posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on
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Copeland’s rise in the ballet world to become the first African-American prima ballerina for the American Ballet Theater garnered intense media coverage, and her series of ads with Under Armour were credited with boosting the company’s sales against competitors like Nike and Lululemon, per Business Insider.
But as of late, Under Armour’s financial outlook has looked bleak, making Plank’s comments even more controversial. On Jan. 31, the company’s stock plummeted 25 percent, and while it has made some gains in the week since, it is still at its lowest point in years, per CNN Money.
After Plank’s interview was published, the company scrambled to issue a statement controlling the fallout. In the statement, the company stated its committment to diversity of “different religions, races, nationalities, genders and sexual orientations; different ages, life experiences and opinions,” per the Baltimore Sun.
Curry, Johnson and Copeland are three of the most prominent African-American athletes signed with Under Armour, and they are the only ones to distance themselves from Plank’s statement. Meanwhile several other high-profile athletes associated with the brand have remained silent on the matter.
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