We frequently have a particular place in our hearts for our initial encounters. They represent fresh starts, and for Stephen Curry, the 2012–13 season’s first NBA playoff berth was a noteworthy achievement. For the Golden State Warriors, it marked a turning point as they won their first postseason since 2006. Stephen Curry overcame several obstacles during this pivotal time, including injuries and doubts about his tiny height. During this trying time, his Nike sneakers came to represent significant turning points in his life.

It is still the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse that he wore on February 28, 2013, the day of his breakthrough performance. In contrast, he was wearing Nike Hyperfuse ‘SC30’ when he made his first playoff departure. This became his final outing donning the brand since his relationship with Nike soured following that postseason performance. The sneakers he donned throughout his early years in the league are proof of his ascent from obscurity to superstardom, even in light of the nasty Nike divorce. He just paid a hefty $18,000 to obtain a pair of Nike Hyperfuse “SC30” sneakers that were used during a game.

Recently, a shoe flipper who goes by the Instagram handle “BannedSF” revealed his most show purchase to date. The Nike Hyperfuse “SC30” sneakers that Steph Curry wore in Game 3 of the team’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Spurs of the 2013 NBA playoffs were purchased by this shoe reseller for $6,800, as revealed in an Overtime video. But Curry eventually got his hands on the sneakers again since his cousin paid $18,000 to buy them again and give them to him as a gift. Remarkably, in order to seal the transaction, the family even flew the shoe flipper to San Francisco.