Our first experiences often hold a special place in our hearts. They signify new beginnings, and for Stephen Curry, his first NBA playoffs appearance in the 2012–13 season marked a significant milestone. It was a watershed moment for the Golden State Warriors, ending a playoff drought since 2006. During this transformative period, Stephen Curry faced numerous challenges, battling injuries and skepticism due to his smaller stature. In this difficult time, it was his Nike shoes that became emblematic of pivotal moments in his journey.

During his breakout performance on Feb. 28, 2013, he was wearing Nike Zoom Hyperfuse, which he still has. Conversely, during his first playoff exit, he had Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ on. This was also the last time he was seen wearing the brand since things went south with Nike after that playoff appearance. Despite the messy Nike split, the shoes he wore during his formative years in the league are a testament to his rise from obscurity to superstardom. Recently, he got his hands on a game-worn pair of Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’, albeit for a massive payout of $18000.

Stephen Curry’s game-worn Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ returns to its rightful owner

A shoe flipper, better known as ‘BannedSF’ on Instagram, recently unraveled his biggest show purchase to date. In an Overtime video, this shoe reseller disclosed buying Steph Curry’s Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ for $6,800, the very pair Curry wore during Game 3 of the team’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Spurs in the 2013 NBA playoffs. However, the shoes found their way back into Curry’s possession, as his cousin repurchased the pair for $18,000 to gift them to him. Notably, the family went as far as flying the shoe flipper to San Francisco to finalize the deal.

The Warriors sharpshooter repaid the efforts of the Bay Area reseller by gifting him a signed jersey with a message that read, “BannedSF, best plug in the Bay!”

Although the Warriors were booted out of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs in a 4–2 series that season, it marked Stephen Curry’s ascent to stardom. Therefore, it is only fitting that he gets to have memorabilia from this impressive run. It was also the same year that he joined forces with Under Armour. But this only came after a lot of drama with his former brand.

Details into Stephen Curry’s messy divorce with Nike

Before his lucrative $4 million-a-year deal with UA in 2013, Stephen Curry was laced up in Nike kicks for the initial four years of his NBA career. Nike had signed the Davidson alum to a four-year contract, which was up for renewal in 2013. They offered Steph a $2.5 million-per-year deal, but when asked to match UA’s offer, they refused to do so, citing concerns about his lack of star power and injury history. As if that wasn’t enough, during a meeting, a Nike rep mispronounced his name as “Steph-on” instead of “Stephen.” However, the reused slides from an earlier pitch to Kevin Durant were the final straw.

Following the botched meeting, Steph decided to move forward with Under Armour, since they offered to make him the face of the brand and give him his signature shoes, not to mention a more lucrative contract. When Stephen Curry joined Under Armour, they had been in the industry for only a few years and owned just 0.35 percent of the market share in the U.S. basketball retail market. However, everything changed for the brand that year as the Golden State Warriors dynasty started.

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In 2015, he then inked a 9-year, $215 million extension that included UA equity. Gradually, UA became one of the top five highest-grossing signature businesses annually. Since Curry joined the brand, Under Armour’s annual revenue has increased 2.5 times.

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