The NBA and its fans missed out on a primetime matchup when LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Bay Area to play the Golden State Warriors. The league is always in for a treat when James suits up against Stephen Curry, but unfortunately the latter was ruled due to knee injury management.
Golden State has dealt with its own injury epidemic during the 2025-26 season as numerous regulars, including Curry, have been forced to miss time. Without Curry available, Los Angeles waltzed to a 119-103 victory behind a strong performance from James. While Curry didn’t suit up, he paid homage to James by wearing his custom Nike LeBron X sneakers:
🗣️ “Out the vault!”
👀 @StephenCurry30 broke out his Nike LeBron X id tonight! pic.twitter.com/B8fcHowovf
— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2026
In the video, Curry is seen dapping up James, who notices his shoes immediately. After the game, James acknowledged how happy he was to see his rival in his kicks.
“I mean, you got one of the all-time greats ever to rock my kicks, that was super cool,” James told Allie Clifton on the Amazon Prime broadcast after the win. “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… 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.”
Curry has been wearing a variety of shoes throughout the regular season since his partnership with Under Armour ended back in November. As a sneaker free agent, Curry will be in high demand and Nike might want to pounce on the Warriors superstar given his stature and reputation around the game of basketball.
Even in the twilight of their respective careers, James and Curry remain one of the best shows in the league. Hopefully the two have a chance to match up again on the hardwood next season because of what their history and star power means to the NBA.
Stephen Curry praises LeBron James’ work ethic
James is one-of-one when it comes to preparing his mind and body for the rigors of the regular season. Despite being in Year 23, James looks as good as ever and still finds ways to dominate games.
Curry understands what it takes to be a star in the league, so he praised James’ work ethic and commitment to his craft.
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