Stephen Curry Wears Kevin Durant's Retro KD 4 Shoe Prior to Rockets-Warriors Battle

On Sunday night, the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors faced off once again for yet another highly contested match. The two teams have had plenty of matchups over the last decade that have become instant classics.

Especially as it pertains to regular season matchups. The Rockets walked away victorious, albeit by the skin of their teeth, pulling out a 117-116 victory on the road, where they've not been nearly as good as they've been at home, going 21-19 away from the Toyota Center -- the Rockets' home arena.

The game is easily the Rockets' biggest victory of the 2025-26 season. They received stellar play from Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., as the four combined for 96 total points on 37-of-59 from the field, 9-of-18 from deep and 13-of-16 from the foul line.

It's hard for the Rockets to lose when they get that level of execution from that quartet. Yet and still, the Rockets nearly lost, due to Stephen Curry's uncanny shot-making ability.

Curry was making his return from a hamstring injury that's sidelined him since January. And didn't look rusty at all.

In fact, it looked as if he is ready for the playoffs. The game certainly had the intensity of the playoffs.

Prior to the start of the game, Curry continued his season-long trend of warming up in random sneakers. This time, however, he donned a pair of Houston Rockets superstar forward Kevin Durant's famed KD 4 sneakers, which have been re-released by Nike, dating back to 2024.

Apr 5, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; A closeup view of the shoes worn by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) before the start of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The shoe is easily Durant's most popular through his collection that spans 19 deep, although the KD 19 shoe, which Durant has been wearing of late, doesn't release until the summer. Curry, a sneaker free agent since parting with Under Armour prior to the start of the season, changed shoes during the game and eventually wore Dwyane Wade's All-Star Game Li-Ning Way of Wade 12 Lux shoe.

As for the game, the Warriors made it hard on themselves. They played the small lineup far too long, especially against a Rockets team with more size that seeks to use that to their advantage.

They also went away from the lineup that featured Charles Bassey and Kristaps Porzingis, which masked the latter's defensive warts. The Rockets were targeting Porzingis and flat out hunting him, leading to him getting fouled out earlier than Golden State would've liked.

Curry had 29 points on 21 shots and went 5-of-10 from deep. The Warriors sit firmly in the tenth and final spot of the play-in tournament, while the Rockets are 49-29 and fifth in the Western Conference.