Steph Curry reveals heartwarming reason for wearing Kobes during pregame warmups originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry flipped the sneaker world on its head after news broke that the two-time NBA MVP would be parting ways with Under Armour after 12 years, with everyone eager to see what shoe he would sport next.
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Curry sent social media ablaze on Friday night when he wore the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” during pregame warmups before Golden State’s 109-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center.
The shoe originally was released in 2022 to honor basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, who both tragically passed away in a January 2020 helicopter crash.
Curry revealed that he wanted to take advantage of the moment to pay tribute to both Kobe and Gigi, honoring their legacies, knowing there would be plenty of eyeballs on his footwear.
“I know it’s weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes, but just the idea of what he meant — I’ve talked about Kobe a lot. That specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means,” Curry told reporters after Friday’s win. “Other than that, just something I wanted to take advantage of that moment and pay tribute. I think it gave me some good energy tonight.”
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Curry certainly channeled his inner “Mamba Mentality” in the epic victory, dropping 49 points on 16-of-26 shooting and 9 of 17 from beyond the arc in 26 minutes of action.
Curry also took a moment to pay homage to another NBA great on Friday, throwing up the number 23 after tying Michael Jordan for the most 40-plus point games after the age of 30.
While Curry has proved he can be dynamic regardless of the shoes on his feet, the heartwarming gesture to honor Bryant and his daughter reflects the high-level character that is synonymous with the Warriors superstar.
