Anthony Edwards has never hidden the fact that he grew up as a Stephen Curry kid. He’s the modern superstar who came of age in the era Curry created; spacing stretched to the logo, shots taken without apology, swagger backed by skill. Last week, Edwards got a reminder so personal he decided the NBA’s etiquette rules could take a night off.
During Minnesota’s trip to Golden State, Edwards said he pulled out his phone on the bench and took photos of Curry, despite knowing players aren’t supposed to be on their phones during games.
“Yeah, I took a couple pictures,” Edwards told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “You know how they say you’re not supposed to be on your phone on the bench? They say it’s like against the rules. I was like, ‘Man, bump the rules…’”
The reason wasn’t sightseeing. It was shoes. Specifically, Curry wearing Edwards’ signature adidas. Edwards missed the game with right foot soreness, but he was still close enough to see what it meant in real time: the player he once modeled himself after choosing to hoop in his gear.
Edwards explained why it hit like a full-circle gut punch.
“Playing in the Olympics with him, just seeing how cool he is, then seeing him wear my shoes, it’s like I was a kid again,” he said. “So I had to take the picture.”
Ant says he took pictures of Steph from the bench from last week’s game even though it’s against league rules lol
“I was like bump the rules” pic.twitter.com/YfbhCSs6bz
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) December 19, 2025
There’s context behind the moment. Curry has been in the middle of a very public sneaker free-agency stretch this season, showing up in different models and colorways, sometimes as a nod to other players, after his long association with Under Armour shifted.
In other words, Curry wearing Edwards’ shoes wasn’t just a random choice; it fit a wider pattern. But for Edwards, it didn’t feel like “content.” It felt like validation.
That’s what makes the story land. Edwards is already one of the league’s defining young stars, yet he’s still capable of reacting like a fan when a childhood icon does something small that carries massive meaning. And in an NBA where everything is branded, strategized, and media-trained, there’s something disarmingly honest about the idea that the simplest souvenir, two quick photos from the bench, was worth bending the rules for.
