The Steph Curry sneaker watch is heating up.
After news of the NBA sharpshooter’s Under Armour deal ending prematurely surfaced earlier in November, all eyes have been on Curry’s footwear selections during tunnel walkthroughs, pregame warm ups and regulation action. The buzz around his strategic sneaker storytelling and potential suitors seemingly grows with every game, and Curry has been making the most of it.
Monday, prior to the Golden State Warriors’ home win over the Utah Jazz, Curry arrived at the Chase Center in a particular pair of Air Jordans which had historical ties to his Utah opponents.
The sneaker free agent’s shoe of choice for the tunnel was the black-and-red “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12, a style made famous by Michael Jordan during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals where the Chicago Bulls narrowly defeated the Jazz. Jordan was famously under the weather for the action, with some accounts chalking it up to the flu or food poisoning. Despite the illness, Jordan played 44 of 48 minutes and led his team to a crucial victory with 38 points.
Following the “Flu Game” nod, Curry switched into the Air Jordan 14 “Last Shot” for warm ups, which is another black-and-red look connected to a significant piece of Jordan lore.
The Nike Sabrina 3 sneaker worn by Curry during Monday’s game.
Nike
By the time tip off came, the lifelong Warriors star had laced up yet another pair to play in: WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu’s Nike Sabrina 3. Ionescu was in attendance and shared laughs with Curry pregame, but the biggest piece of news coming out of Warriors win was that it was the first time Curry played a game in Nike shoes since 2013.
Post game, Curry confirmed with reporters that his sneaker selections have been intentional.
“It’s kind of cool to understand the history of the game and the themes around certain teams we’re playing,” Curry said. “I brought out the Flu Games and the Final Shorts and then played in the Sabrina 3s. Everybody should be on alert. I’m calling everybody trying to get some good product. It’s just fun to honor certain eras [and] moments in the game, current athletes who are doing great things. Just having fun with it.”
There was a point of contention Monday after reports stated a failed bid to sign WNBA star Caitlin Clark to the Curry Brand was a contributing factor in the demise of his Under Armour deal. Under Armour was quick to refute these claims, calling the reports “untrue.”
