“I’m a huge Kobe Bryant advocate”: Paige Bueckers keeps it a ‘bucket’ when talking about her sneaker game

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers opened up about her love for NBA legend Kobe Bryant's hugely popular Nike Kobe 8 sneakers. Bueckers made this known during an interview on Thursday about her top sneakers.

She talked about the various colorways in her sneaker collection, while mentioning the Kobe 8 Protro "UConn" PE as her favorite.

"I'm a huge Kobe advocate, I love them," Bueckers said, via B/R Kicks. "They're probably like my favorite basketball shoes. These are just specific to UConn, UConn colorway. I try to rep where I'm from, where I've come from. So, whether it be my high school, college, these are just one of my favorites for sure."

The Kobe 8 Protro "UConn" was a special edition player colorway designed for the Huskies' basketball teams. The sneaker was part of the Mamba Program launched in September 2023 by Bryant's wife, Vanessa, in partnership with Nike.

UConn and five other NCAA teams, including Duke, USC and LSU, all received special player exclusive colorways. Bueckers wore them during her college career.

Nicknamed "Paige Buckets" for her elite shooting ability, the guard was the first athlete to design and launch a Nike player edition shoe in college. Her GT Hustle 3 PE sneakers, released in December, featured a PB Bucket logo as a homage to her popular nickname.

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Paige Bueckers beams with pride over A’ja Wilson’s Nike signature shoe moment

Paige Bueckers gave props to WNBA veteran A'ja Wilson for getting her signature shoe. Bueckers was asked on Thursday to talk about Wilson's Nike A'One "Pink A'ura" sneakers and what makes her special.

"Definitely an icon of the league, really great leader, just one of the best players in the league," Bueckers said (01:36), via B/R Kicks. "She's paving the way for players like me, the next generation. Super excited for her, super happy that she got her own shoe. It was a long time in the making, very much deserving."

Bueckers also shared how Wilson gifted her a pair, and discussed her leadership qualities.

"She actually reached out and sent me a pair," Bueckers said. "So that was humbling, and I'm very grateful for that. She's just a great leader and somebody that I look up to. But they're just a pretty shoe, and I've liked every single colorway that's dropped. But yeah, super happy for it."

This season, Bueckers is averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists. She hopes to continue her impressive run and also learn from superstars like Wilson.