Since Stephen Curry‘s shoe-free agency in November, the Warriors star has made a point to celebrate current stars and past legends. On Friday, while facing the Los Angeles Lakers, it was no different as the Chef cooked up something from the vault for his long-time rival turned friend, LeBron James. It reminded the 22x All-Star about the days of Curry still being a Swoosh athlete.
This season, the two Akron natives never faced each other. Earlier in the season, LeBron missed opening night with a sciatica issue, and Steph was dealing with a runner’s knee injury and did not participate in both games in February. Speaking about the disappointment of not facing the Warriors’ superstar, Bron admitted, “We actually talked about it a little bit. We both didn’t even realize it until, I guess, today.” With Bron’s future uncertain, it could genuinely have been the last time we saw them battling together on court.
Even though the Dub Nation’s favorite did not play, that didn’t stop him from honoring King James. He wore the Nike LeBron X in Golden State colorways. If you remember, the release of this sneaker overlaps with the initial Curry x Nike partnership.
“Out the vault!”
@StephenCurry30 broke out his Nike LeBron X id tonight! pic.twitter.com/B8fcHowovf
— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026
That’s why, after the game, LeBron James revealed how the shoe was made for Curry. “I mean, you got one of the all-time greats ever to you know rock my kicks that was super cool. I think those were actually a colorway for him, I believe. I believe. We made them for him when he was with Nike at the time. But those Golden State colors, they look good on him. That’s special.”
Nike LeBron X was first released to the public on September 29, 2012. Curry was still serving his four-year deal with Nike, which ended in 2013, as the Warriors superstar later chose Under Armour, as he felt undervalued and overlooked by the Swoosh brand. Despite the bitter history, Stephen Curry honored LeBron James as this specific colorway was primarily created through NikeiD (Nike’s customisation platform) rather than being a standard wide retail release.
As Steph took special measures, a reporter asked LeBron if he appreciated the Warriors star’s recent shoe game. And the answer couldn’t have been clearer. Bron smiled ear-to-ear and uttered, “Oh, of course.” James continued, “I’m not sure if he had an extra pair or those were the actual ones, but he went to the vault for those.”
Curry has maintained that his goal is to pay tribute to players, teams, cities, and important elements of basketball history and not to send a message to potential business partners. In fact, before the tribute on Friday, Chef Curry also paid homage to James’ legacy.
Stephen Curry honored LeBron James earlier this season, but not with Nike
Since the split from UA in November, wearing any shoe brand has not been a problem for Steph. Be it Nike, Converse, and Adidas, or even Chinese footwear brands like ANTA and Li-Ning. The Warriors’ superstar has made sure to salute current stars and former rivals turned legends any time he faces their teams or visits their hometown. Last week, the Golden State faced the Cavaliers, and Steph Curry again went deep in his vault to honor the fellow Akron native.
The 2x MVP showed love to LeBron James against the Cavaliers by wearing his “SVSM” Adidas Pro Model 2G PE from his high school days. Curry wore the shoes as a nod to LeBron’s high school career at St. Vincent-St. Mary (SVSM) in Akron, Ohio. Before signing his landmark deal with Nike in 2003, the Lakers superstar wore various Adidas models during high school.
The brand originally designed these “SVSM” player exclusives (PEs) specifically for him in the school’s signature green and gold colors. In fact, LeBron only got to know about this tonight, said, “I saw the picture today when he went to Cleveland, he had my first signature kick, and then he had on the 10s today. Super special.”
From fierce rivals and having a mutual dislike for each other, to winning the Olympic Gold together and forming a bond that goes beyond the hardwood. That’s how the relationship between the two Akron natives has grown throughout their battles.
