Steph Curry’s “Tears of Joy”: Why Li-Ning Is the Perfect Fit | S4E1

Season 4 of the Let’s Go Warriors podcast begins with gratitude—and a new chapter for Stephen Curry. (Wow, we did 88 episodes last season!) With Warriors training camp less than two weeks away, Rich explains why this feels like the right moment to turn the page on last season. He also revisits his previous skepticism about Curry Brand partnering exclusively with Li-Ning—and why Steph’s experience in China convinced him that Curry made the right decision... 👇 SYNOPSIS CONTINUED BELOW 👇 📌 Join on our knowledge-based Discord server for real-time NBA news feeds on all things Warriors, plus SEARCHABLE VIDEO by topics, coaches, players. 🗞 Free Discord with categorized Warriors + NBA updates: https://whop.com/letsgowarriors (choose FREE version) 💎 VIP Discord with real-time news feeds, exclusive clips + insights: https://whop.com/letsgowarriors (choose VIP version) 📰 Substack: https://letsgowarriors.com YOUTUBE VERSION OF THIS EPISODE: https://youtu.be/eF\_JGeKd0KM (Entire Curry transcript/timestamps can be found there) THIS ORIGINALLY APPEARED LIVE HERE: \[n/a] 👇 During his visit to Li-Ning headquarters in Beijing, Steph underwent detailed movement testing, physical measurements and a foot scan as the company began developing his future products. The level of care left Curry “crying tears of joy”—and, if you watch the final moments closely, he may genuinely have become emotional. That behind-the-scenes experience provides important context for Curry’s subsequent interview with MC Edcon Gabriel Yau in Shenzhen. Steph explains why the Way of Wade 12 was the best-performing basketball shoe he tried, discusses Jimmy Butler’s JB line, teases his future signature products and calls Li-Ning “the greatest team that I’ve been able to work with.” For an athlete sitting atop the basketball and sneaker worlds, Steph’s capacity to remain genuinely moved by the care of others says something deeper: gratitude is not merely something he talks about. It is something he has learned to embody. The interview includes English and Chinese portions. TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Welcome to Season 4 of the LGW podcast (00:51) Why begin the new season with gratitude? (01:44) Did Steph genuinely shed a tear? (03:11) Why Rich changed his mind about Li-Ning (05:06) “Tears of joy” inside Li-Ning headquarters (06:16) Steph reflects on his new Li-Ning partnership (07:54) China’s basketball atmosphere inspires Steph (09:24) Curry Camp and youth basketball development (11:17) Steph reacts to the viral “Curry Song” (12:50) Why Steph chose the Way of Wade 12 (13:39) “The greatest team I’ve been able to work with” (16:16) Jimmy Butler and the JB3, JB4 and JB5 (18:42) Steph teases his upcoming Li-Ning products (20:54) Li-Ning reveals how Steph’s signature shoe is developing (23:46) Steph’s message to Li-Ning and Curry fans (24:19) A new chapter begins KEYWORDS: Stephen Curry, Steph Curry, Li-Ning, Curry Brand, Curry Tour 2026, Steph Curry China, Steph Curry Shenzhen, Steph Curry Beijing, Way of Wade 12, WOW 12, Jimmy Butler, JB3, JB4, JB5, Steph Curry signature shoe, Steph Curry shoes, Golden State Warriors, Warriors, Dub Nation, DubNation, gratitude, tears of joy, Let’s Go Warriors, LGW podcast.