In life and in business, first impressions are important. Good ones can set the stage for long and fruitful relationships, and bad ones can come back to bite you. In the case of Nike and Stephen Curry, a rough start to a critical meeting might very well have been a multibillion-dollar inflection point in the athletic apparel game. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball] ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss dropped a monster story on Wednesday, tracing the steps that led Curry to leave Nike for an endorsement deal with Under Armour in the summer of 2013. What seemed at the time like a significant if not earth-shaking move on the sneaker free agency waiver wire became a game-changer as Curry skyrocketed to superstardom, earned recognition as the league's Most Valuable Player and led the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA championship in 40 years. Now one of the most popular athletes in the world, Curry's signature sneakers have become a hot commodity, with one analyst estimating his value to Under Armour's growing brand at a staggering $14 billion . Curry might have been wearing swooshes during that run — "first impressions" stuff aside,...