Stephen Curry's random hat while injured turns into sold-out frenzy must-have

Stephen Curry unintentionally made one Bay Area start-up's dreams come true.

While every Golden State Warriors and NBA fan has been heartbroken a hamstring injury has kept Steph out of the Western Conference semifinals against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves, his misfortune turned into a miracle for Laces, an apparel company started by former Santa Clara students.

Steph Curry, Stephen Curry — May 10, 2025: Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry watches from the bench during game three against the Minnesota Timberwolves. | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

During Game 3, the greatest NBA shooter of all time rocked a casual gray Under Armour sweatsuit fit, with a lid that stole the show. The clean baseball cap had a simple "BAY AREA" font on the front upside-down and backwards. Fans took notice and immediately wanted one.

man...

this 'bay area' hat... that Steph was wearing in Game 3 is clean as hell...

who makes these? pic.twitter.com/75m6gHcMkQ
— sam samolians (@SamoliansSam) May 12, 2025

Jeff Chu, the CEO and founder of Laces told SFGate that the response was beyond insane, selling out all versions of the hat that night.

“I turn the TV on, and it’s like two minutes into the game, and there’s Steph wearing the hat," Chu said. "It’s like, ‘Oh my god, this is crazy.’...It was unreal.”

The funniest part is that Curry just wore the hat without any endorsement deal, a true rarity for the modern-day sports superstar. Like that Under Armour sweatsuit he wore, Curry has a lifetime deal worth a reported $1 billion with the signature sports brand, including his own signature shoe and apparel lines.

In fact, Chu says they sent the team the hat and other free swag hoping Steph's teammate, Brandin Podziemski, better known by his nickname Podz, would wear some of their merch given he played ball at Santa Clara.

Stephen Curry, Steph Curry — Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Needless to say it worked out for the better, as the "Steph effect" sold out their entire inventory, and they scrambled to get pre-orders on the books to make the most of their extremely rare good luck. Buddy Hield also wore a different Laces hat in Game 3, and Gary Payton II wore one earlier in the season.

Chu says the company was founded to help NIL athletes make money, signing more than a thousand athletes since it was started 18 months ago.

Maybe now its primary focus should be making sweet lids thanks to the "Steph effect."

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