Stephen Curry made an unexpected style statement on Friday night, even though he didn’t take the court.
While sidelined during the Golden State Warriors’ matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the superstar guard was spotted courtside wearing Angel Reese’s signature basketball shoe, turning heads across both NBA and WNBA circles.
Curry sported the Reebok Angel 1 in the bold “Receipts Ready” colorway while watching the game from Chase Center. Reese, one of the fastest-rising stars in women’s basketball, officially launched her first signature sneaker through her partnership with Reebok last September.
The shoe gained immediate attention after Reese revealed its design on the cover of the WNBA edition of NBA 2K26, a unique crossover moment that cemented her growing influence in both sports and sneaker culture.
The appearance of Curry wearing Reese‘s shoe is particularly notable because of his recent departure from Under Armour. After more than a decade as the face of the brand’s basketball line, Curry parted ways with Under Armour in November.
Despite the split, the final collaborative release, the Curry 13, is still set to hit stores in February, closing an era that helped define modern basketball footwear. His choice to wear Reese‘s Reebok shoe signals not only a shift in his personal sneaker preferences but also highlights the increasing cultural significance of women’s basketball players in the broader athletic market.
Shifting alliances and missed opportunities
Curry‘s footwear choice also reflects some of the deeper tensions behind his split from Under Armour. Recent reporting from Bloomberg News sheds light on a key factor: Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever rookie and currently one of the most popular players in women’s basketball.
Under Armour had attempted to sign Clark as a new face for the brand, seeing her as someone who could carry the company’s basketball identity into the future. However, Nike ultimately won Clark‘s endorsement, offering a deal that outmatched Under Armour’s proposal.
This missed opportunity reportedly frustrated Curry, who had envisioned Clark as a potential “successor” for his brand influence after retirement. Losing Clark meant Under Armour not only missed out on the world’s most marketable female basketball star but also failed to maintain continuity in the basketball market Curry had helped build over years.
In that sense, Curry‘s departure was about more than just personal contracts-it symbolized a broader shift in sneaker marketing, where women’s basketball stars are increasingly central to the industry’s growth and visibility.
On the court, the Warriors faced a challenging night without Curry, who remains sidelined with a left ankle injury. Golden State also rested Draymond Green and missed Jimmy Butler due to illness.
Even in his absence, Curry‘s choice to wear Reese‘s signature shoe demonstrated his lasting impact off the court, signaling that influence in basketball culture extends far beyond individual performance.
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