Enjoying sneaker free agency, Stephen Curry donned more intriguing pairs against the Houston Rockets. He entered the arena with a pair of Jordans. For the game, he chose to honor his Olympic teammate, Tyrese Haliburton. Curry wore the Hali 1s, continuing on his unique experience.

“Trying to get some good product but it’s just fun to, again, honor certain eras, moments in the game, current athletes who are doing great things and just having fun with it,” he said about his sneaker mindset. However, a cruel fate awaited Stephen Curry when taking on the Rockets in their NBA Cup clash.

The game in itself wasn’t memorable. The Baby Face Assassin was held to just 14 points, with the Rockets’ physicality hampering the Warriors sensation. And towards the end of the game, his troubles increased. Curry and Amen Thompson clashed during a sequence, leaving the two-time MVP in grueling pain. It sparked large-scale concern for the struggling Warriors.

Curry had to be helped off the court as he kept limping. Steve Kerr didn’t have much information about the exact extent of the injury, but he did find himself relieved because it was a quad injury. “Better than an ankle or a knee. So, hopefully he can recover quickly and be okay, but we gotta hold down the fort,” Kerr added.

Stephen Curry headed straight to the locker room after trying to play through the ailment. The Warriors star will undergo an MRI scan to understand the damage. However, fans don’t see this as an unfortunate incident. They feel a curse followed Curry for the choices he made.

NBA fans are convinced Puma cursed Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry has worn Nikes, Adidas, and even Jimmy Butler’s signature shoe. Not once did he find himself in injury trouble. Tonight, while donning the Hali 1s, Curry suffered an ailment. And fans could only think of one reason. “Puma curse,” a fan commented. And it stems from the brand’s recent history.

Tyrese Haliburton, who unveiled his signature shoe during the NBA Finals, suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in Game 7. Moreover, even LaMelo Ball has failed to stay healthy. Hence, fans had just one message for Curry going forward. “Don’t ever use that shoe ever again,” another fan suggested.

Others who immediately reacted also said, “Don’t ever use that shoe ever again,”. Some even felt the injury was similar to Haliburton’s and made a plea to the Pacers star, too. “He got hurt like Hali too, tell these two to take ’em the f–k off,”. Just to be clear, both ailments are significantly different. Tyrese Haliburton played that Game 7 knowing there was a possibility of aggravating a pre-existing injury. Stephen Curry tried to draw a charge, hurting his quads due to contact from Amen Thompson.

Of course, linking injuries to a shoe brand isn’t practical. In general, the NBA has faced several injuries of late. Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson, and Paolo Banchero all represent the Jordan Brand and have run into injuries. That doesn’t mean the brand itself is cursed. In Curry’s case, it was the physical nature of the play that led to his injury. This wasn’t like the frequent ankle injuries he suffered early in his career.

Nonetheless, the Warriors will hope there isn’t any extensive damage. The team, which has lost four of its last five, desperately needs Curry on the floor to compete. If he does end up missing time, the fans’ sentiment around Puma might just grow stronger.