Becoming a free agent in the sneaker market has been liberating for Stephen Curry, who now enjoys the flexibility to wear different shoes. With this opportunity, the Warriors superstar opted to pay homage to his former teammate Klay Thompson when the two faced off on Christmas Day.
Stephen Curry garnered a lot of attention in the process of breaking out Thompson’s signature ANTA K11s for the game. The Dallas Mavericks guard reacted to his former teammate’s decision afterwards by commenting:
“It was great. Really cool. Wish he didn’t get a win in them, but it was awesome. Respect.”
During his post-game media availability, Stephen Curry was asked about whether his sneaker choice was sentimental. The Warriors superstar joked with the reporter while responding:
“No, I just randomly have some ANTA Klay Thompson 11s lying around in the back. Just thought I’d wear them and they happened to be in my size, which was pretty cool.”
Technically, Stephen Curry only wore the ANTA K11s during the game. On arrival, Curry was seen wearing Allen Iverson‘s Reebok Question Mid, specifically in Kobe Bryant‘s signature “Yellow Toe” colorway.
During his warm-up routine, Curry wore a pair of Nike Hyperdunk 2010 Christmas player-exclusive shoes. This was a bit of a throwback as the Warriors’ superstar was initially signed with Nike before moving over to Under Armour. With the sneakers featuring his signature “SC30” logo on the tongue, this was a blast from the past.
Stephen Curry Reacts To Facing Klay Thompson On Christmas Day
Although the two have faced each other before, the reunion on Christmas Day was particularly poignant for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. During the press conference, Curry even addressed the crowd’s reaction to them meeting before the game started.
“They don’t miss a thing, especially if the Splash Bros are out there,” Curry noted. “Very sentimental moment, I’m sure, anytime we’re in the same space and Draymond’s included. So that was cool, for sure.”
The crowd’s loud reaction to the two exchanging words during the warm-up was truly heartwarming. The sight of the two sharing the floor at the Chase Center is a familiar one for Warriors fans, but seeing the Splash Brothers on opposing teams still takes some getting used to.
Steph Curry 🤝 Klay Thompson
The Splash Brothers greet go head-to-head on Christmas 🎄
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/yuTjAHMaJ4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 25, 2025
Curry’s shoe choice and meeting with Thompson may have been sentimental, but his performance on the court showed no remorse for his Splash Brother.
With 23 points, three rebounds, and four assists, despite a poor shooting night, Curry led the Warriors to a 126-116 win over the Mavericks. In comparison, Thompson, who has embraced his role as a bench player for Dallas, notched seven points, two rebounds, and two assists on 3-of-8 shooting from the field.
With a solid win in the books, Golden State extends its win streak to three games after a fairly rough patch earlier in the month. Although they remain in eighth place, with a healthy rotation, the Warriors find themselves in a significantly better position to compete.
