LeBron & Steph Went Retro With Their Sneakers Last Night

Another year will be in the books soon, and it feels as monumental as ever for some basketball sneaker legends. Last night, LeBron James celebrated his 41st birthday, and Stephen Curry was honored at Davidson University.

We are entering the back half of the decade and the final stretch of two legendary careers. For signs of their age and the changing times, look no further than James and Curry's kicks from Tuesday, December 30.

James wore a new colorway of the Nike LeBron 23 that harkened back to the early days of his playing career, while Curry wore retro Air Jordan 6 sneakers as a tribute to his iconic college photo shoot.

LeBron James

LeBron is in a new “Dunkman” 23 on his birthday, inspired by the Dunkman 7s from back in the day: https://t.co/DUMr8XEfsC pic.twitter.com/LkAjFJW7fh
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) December 31, 2025

The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 128-106, but James still celebrated his birthday in style. He debuted the Nike LeBron 23 "Dunkman" colorway.

It is the second version of James' 23rd signature sneaker to feature the Swoosh logo (behind the 'Stewie' colorway). Even better, it called back to the Nike LeBron 7 with the retro LeBron branding throughout the shoe.

James hyped up the Nike LeBron 23 before the official launch this past fall. Unfortunately, a lot of the colorways have been forgettable, and customer reviews have been unpromising.

There is no word on a potential release date for these shoes, but fans can choose from multiple Nike LeBron 23 colorways at Nike.com.

Stephen Curry

The “Carmine” Air Jordan 6 is an old favorite of Steph’s from his college days 📚 @StephenCurry30 https://t.co/9mnwhJeNnU pic.twitter.com/t0SPYQ8GGb
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) December 31, 2025

Curry has dominated the footwear conversation this NBA season ever since his unexpected breakup with Under Armour in November. However, Davidson University is still sponsored by Curry Brand as part of a deal with Under Armour.

Awkward visuals aside, Curry wore the Air Jordan 6 "Carmine" on Tuesday night when honored at his alma mater. It was a sweet nod to the sneakers Curry wore in a photo shoot during his collegiate career.

The Air Jordan 6 is far from the most popular installment of Michael Jordan's signature sneaker line. However, it is still considered part of the golden era of Air Jordan sneakers and appreciated enough to sell out upon every release.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the sports world and beyond.

More NBA Footwear News

Caitlin Clark's Nike Kobe 5 "Indiana Fever" restocks soon.

The Nike Book 2 "Rising" launches this week.

Charles Barkley's Nike sneakers quietly restocked online.

Steph Curry's thoughts on the Curry 13 have been revealed.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander debuted the Converse SHAI 001 'CLEAN SLATE.'