Stephen Curry Wears Nike Kobe Sneakers After Under Armour Breakup

Stephen Curry wore a heartfelt colorway of the Nike Kobe 6 before his first game as a sneaker free agent.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry wore Kobe Bryant's retro Nike basketball shoes after his split with Under Armour. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Yesterday, the sports world and sneaker industry were shocked by the sudden announcement of a split between Stephen Curry and Under Armour.

The breakup left many unanswered questions, but Curry wasted no time in answering one of the biggest. He is willing to wear different brands' shoes - even his former sponsor, Nike.

Just before the Golden State Warriors faced the San Antonio Spurs in an NBA Cup group play game, Curry took the court for warm-ups in Kobe Bryant's retro Nike basketball shoes. Curry wore the Nike Kobe 6 Protro in the "Mabacita Sweet 16" colorway.

Update - Curry Explains His Decision

🗣️ @StephenCurry30 on why he chose the Nike Kobe 6 “Mambacita” for pregame in San Antonio. #NBAKicks pic.twitter.com/vX5wBkfmgo

— NBA KICKS (@NBAKicks) November 15, 2025

After the game, reporters asked Curry about his decision to wear the Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Mambacita Sweet 16" colorway. As we suspected last night, Curry had a rare opportunity to pay homage to the Bryant family.

"I know, it's just weird seeing me in anything else other than my own shoes," acknowledged Curry in his post-game press conference.

"But just the idea of what he meant. I talked about Kobe a lot. And that specific pair, I think it speaks for itself, what it means. And other than that, it's just something that wanted to take, you know, advantage of that moment and pay tribute. And I think it gave me some good energy tonight."

Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Mambacita Sweet 16"

The Kobe 6 Protro 'Mambacita Sweet 16' for Steph! https://t.co/qhgNGxZdQd

— NBA KICKS (@NBAKicks) November 15, 2025

After arriving at the Frost Bank Center in team sweats and unbranded slides, Curry wasted no time in signaling his sneaker free agency. The greatest three-point shooter of all time put away his Curry Brand signature line to celebrate his independence while showing respect to his friends.

While it was shocking to see Curry wearing Nike again after their highly publicized breakup in 2013, after a failed meeting with then-Nike executive Nico Harrison, his choice in footwear made sense.

The Nike Kobe 6 Protro is the most popular model from Bryant's legendary signature sneaker line. Plus, the "Mabacita Sweet 16" colorway is a heartfelt tribute to Gigi Bryant.

Curry's Sneaker Free Agency

Wasn't on my 2025 bingo card 🤯 pic.twitter.com/scggFSvUUC

— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) November 15, 2025

The Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Mabacita Sweet 16" colorway was released on May 1, 2022 (the day of Gigi's 16th birthday). They had a retail price of $180 in adult sizes, but sold out instantly online. The limited-edition colorway now has an average resale price of $638 on StockX.

So far this season, Curry has worn the Curry Series 7, which he called his "basketball super shoe" earlier this summer.

However, the Curry 13, his final Curry Brand x Under Armour shoe, does not launch until February 2026. Additionally, several colorways and apparel collections will be released through October 2026.

Curry's Future Footwear

Will Richard with a little reverse magic🪄

📺 @NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/kYxueIk0hP

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 15, 2025

Curry switched back to wearing the Curry 11 "Eat.Learn.Play" colorway for the game. The player-exclusive colorway honors his family's nonprofit organization and was never released to the public.

Curry could continue to wear shoes from different brands, as he is a sneaker free agent. But the future of Curry Brand seems to be in doubt as of now, or perhaps it was just a long-awaited tribute from Curry to the Bryant family.

Curry will get plenty of questions from the media about his footwear situation after tonight's game and throughout the rest of the season. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the sports world and beyond.