Paige Bueckers impresses Kobe Bryant fans for WNBA preseason activities with Dallas Wings

Jael Rucker

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Paige Bueckers impresses Kobe Bryant fans for WNBA preseason activities with Dallas Wings image

Vincent Carchietta

Paige Bueckers pulled up to her first preseason festivities with the Dallas Wings, and she quickly impressed Kobe Bryant fans with the shoes she had in tow.

The shoes in question? None other than the Kobe 5 "X-Ray" shoes, which were fittingly decked out in a blue and green color matching the Dallas Wings. The history of the Kobe Protro 5 dates back to 2019, drawing inspiration from the minimalistic design associated with soccer cleats. The "X-Ray," in-particular, features a deep royal blue design and a glacier blue upper.

The upper features printed artwork of foot bones that form into an X-Ray image Kobe branding appears on the tongue and heel, and the Deep Royal Blue midsole and Glacier Blue outsole finish the look. According to StockX experts, the 5 X-Ray's best feature is its edgy and unique imagery. The shoe was originally released on October 17, 2024, and the current asking price starts at $164.

MORE: The Nike LeBron 22 "Dunkman" has officially made its arrival

Meanwhile, Bueckers is a huge fan of Bryant, recently getting emotional over after UConn's win in the NCAA women's championship as Gigi, who was a huge Huskies fan would’ve been eligible for play this year. “My mom’s staying in room 824, which are both of Kobe’s numbers,” Bueckers revealed, per an April 6 video posted on X (formerly Twitter) by WACH Fox reporter Claire Foley. "Kobe's watching over us. Gigi's watching over us."

This followed Vanessa Bryant congratulating the team in an Instagram Story, which read, “Gigi would’ve loved being there with you.” She also quoted her daughter: “’When you think you can’t, UCONN’~Gigi Bryant.”

The Dallas Wings kick off the 2025 WNBA season with a matchup against the Storm on May 19.

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Jael Rucker

Jael Rucker has worked as the Associate Commerce Editor at PureWow, focusing on analytics and trends to pitch stories and optimize articles that build and engage their audience. Her work has also been seen in Footwear News and WWD. Prior to 2024, she was the style and pop culture editor at ONE37pm for over three years, contributing numerous product reviews, brand profiles and fashion trend reports, which included interviewing Steph Curry, Snoop Dogg and more.