Stephen Curry‘s cousin gave him a priceless Christmas gift. A shoe reseller going by the name ‘BannedSF’ on Instagram revealed that in December spent $6,800 on a game-worn pair of Stephen Curry’s Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ from 2012. He put the shoes up for sale on his Instagram page and was contacted by the Golden State Warriors superstar’s cousin, who paid $18,000 to get it from BannedSF.
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Curry’s cousin bought the shoe to return the pair to the Warriors superstar. The family was so desperate to get the shoe back to Curry, that the reseller revealed that the family even flew him out to San Diego to make the deal happen.
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This wasn’t BannedSF’s first deal with Curry. The two-time NBA MVP gave the San Francisco-based reseller a personalized autograph jersey with the message, “BannedSF, best plug in the Bay!” A plug is slang for a person who helps people get their hands on shoes and fashion apparel that are rare or difficult to find. Curry’s message on the jersey implies the Warriors superstar has sought the reseller’s help to buy a pair of rare sneakers and was kind enough to give him a return gift for his efforts.
As for the shoes being back in Curry’s possession, considering he wore the sneakers around the time he was on the rise in the NBA, it only feels right that he gets to keep them.
Stephen Curry’s stint with Nike
Fans in the Instagram post were perplexed by seeing Stephen Curry in Nike shoes, after all, the Warriors superstar’s name is synonymous with Under Armor now. However, before signing his $4 million-a-year deal with UA in 2013, Curry was a Nike athlete from 2009 to 2013. The company signed the rookie out of Davidson to a four-year contract, and he was seen sporting their shoes on the court.
During the 2012-13 season, Curry wore the Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ edition. The shoes BannedSF sold to the Warriors superstar’s cousin were from Game 3 of the team’s Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA playoffs.
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Curry wrote the Bible verse Philippians 4:13 on the shoe, which reads:
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”
Curry finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two assists, as the Warriors lost 102-92. Despite Curry’s breakout performances all series long, the Spurs beat them in six games and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.
In the offseason, Nike offered Curry a $2.5 million-a-year deal to extend his stay with the company. However, Under Armour offered the Warriors superstar a $4 million-a-year deal. Curry asked Nike to match the offer, but the company declined, citing his lack of star power and injury history.
The Nike representative that presented to the Curry family also pronounced Stephen as ‘Stephon’, something that only made things worse. And the fact that one of the slides in the presentation were addressed to Kevin Durant, not Steph, only serves as the final nail in the coffin.
Nike’s decision turned out to be a disaster, as Curry eventually blossomed into one of the biggest stars in the game. He became the first player to win the NBA MVP award unanimously and led the Warriors to four NBA titles in eight years. Under Armour’s annual revenue has increased 2.5 times since Curry signed with the brand. He signed a new nine-year, $215 million with Under Armour and was offered the company’s equity.
Curry’s gamble to reject Nike’s deal and sign with a relatively unknown brand has paid massive dividends. It all happened due to Nike’s massive mistake of failing to recognize Curry’s potential as a player.
