Stephen Curry tried to beat Devin Booker with his own pair of shoes

Devin Booker appeared at Thursday’s press conference with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. In hand, the Suns guard waves his “Nike Book 1” and immediately intrigues the press. “Stephen Curry wore my shoe, my signature model, and signed it for me”says the Phoenix player, visibly delighted, even if the person in question isn’t known for being the most demonstrative in the league.

Now contractually free in terms of the shoes he can wear, Stephen Curry didn’t do things by halves: he wore not one, but two pairs of Book 1. First the Chevrolet collaboration during the warm-up, then the “What The” colorway during the match.

The leader of the Warriors wanted this wink for both his opponent… and his friend. The two have consolidated their relationship in recent seasons, to the point of sharing an Olympic adventure.

“The book” and I, the bond we’ve been able to create over the last few years, since he’s been in the NBA, and during the Olympics… There’s obviously a special relationship.”, explains Stephen Curry. Before concluding, with humor: “So I wanted to beat him with his own shoes. It didn’t work.”

Stephen Curry, Devin Booker’s idol

These pairs were requested by Stephen Curry himself. Devin Booker assures that the request has arrived “the day after the partnership with Under Armor ended”slipped in the heat after the match, before enriching the anecdote a few minutes later.

“He was the one who contacted me first, even though I wanted to contact him before him. I really liked that he invited me to ask me that. I sent him a few pairs that I thought would go well with the jerseys. Then he wrote me that I was comfortable and that he would play with them here in Phoenix.”

From an accounting standpoint, these shoes didn’t bring him any luck: a loss and a poor performance with 15 points on 3/13 shooting. But the evening will remain a special moment, especially for Devin Booker.

“Honestly, it’s hard to put into words what I feel”confides. “I think about the Olympics: the opportunity to play with him, not only on the court, but also to get to know each other off the court. We built a relationship that will last a lifetime, with someone who I have considered my idol all my life. So I see the circle fills the circle, and to see him facing me with my shoe … I would rather imagine the opposite. It’s completely crazy.”

Devin Booker, VRP de luke at Nike

“I had to try on his shoe tonight”Stephen Curry confirmed. “To bring some dynamism to the shoe world while I can. (…) Every night there’s a theme and I’m having fun with it. Being here in Phoenix, knowing what he’s accomplished in the last decade, it was a great opportunity.”

And the opportunity also suited Devin Booker, who made no secret of his intent: to do a little lobbying to lure Stephen Curry to Nike, the Warriors star’s early-day outfitter.

The Suns guard assumes “100%” this desire to recruit him, to the extent that he wants to bring him a few pairs of the just-released “Book 2” during the rematch between the Suns and the Warriors on Saturday. “He could be one of the first to play with it”slipped Devin Booker, laughed.