Even after a couple of months, Dallas is slowly preparing for life after Luka Dončić, and oddly enough, the emotional void he’s leaving behind might just be filled by a rising rookie in the W. But Paige Bueckers isn’t doing it alone; she’s got a little help from her basketball hero. It all came together when Bueckers stepped onto the court at American Airlines Centre, normally home to the Mavs, for a highly anticipated showdown against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. While Clark’s late injury sidelined her from the action, that didn’t stop 20,000 fans from packing the arena to see Paige light it up. But she wasn’t the only highlight of the night!

Among those 20,000 fans stood Paige’s favorite player, Kyrie Irving, who showed up to the arena with his daughter Azuri and cheered on Paige like a proud big brother. But that wasn’t all. After the game, Paige accompanied Irving through the tunnel while the NBA star had Bueckers’ jersey draped over his shoulder.

Before they parted ways, Bueckers handed him a signed jersey, and videos of the exchange quickly made the rounds online. As the clips surfaced, fans began digging up an old quote from Paige that made the whole moment feel even more special. “He has been my favorite player for forever now, so super excited to be in the same city as him,” she had said during her introductory press conference after being drafted No. 1 by the Wings, per an X post from @aysiacchanell.

It was during an interview with veteran reporter Dorothy Gentry that PB couldn’t hide her excitement about sharing a city with her all-time favorite player, Kyrie Irving. And while she openly named Irving as her favorite, she also went deeper, highlighting the specific parts of his game that have shaped her own. “I think his finishing abilities, the way he uses his quickness, he’s extremely underratedly strong, and just his creativity are things I want to take away,” she said.

But of course, her admiration goes far beyond Irving’s handles or scoring prowess. And that’s why Paige has repeatedly praised Kyrie for who he is off the court, calling his authenticity a rare form of leadership. But what makes the bond even stronger is the shared experience of injury.

Just consider, Irving suffered a torn ACL recently and had been on a journey Bueckers herself knows all too well, having missed the entire 2022–23 season due to the same injury. That’s why her message to him during a press conference felt so personal: “I know you’re gonna come back from this better than ever….I know he’s going to dominate this recovery process just as he does basketball.”

So, when Kyrie showed up courtside to support Paige during her Dallas Wings game, it wasn’t just a celebrity moment; it was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. Paige had always hoped Irving would attend one of her games, and this time, he brought his daughter along, making it even more special. And that alone proves why Buecker shared that “He’s (Irving) unapologetically himself,” during her WFAA interview. “You can’t be that elite at basketball without having a great work ethic”. 

But while Irving showered his support by being present and Bueckers put on a show with a 27-point performance and a buzzer-beater, the Wings ultimately fell 94–86 to the Fever. But was it truly a loss? For Paige and Kyrie, that night was about far more than the scoreboard.

It’s not a one-way relationship for Paige Bueckers!

For Paige Bueckers, the moment with Kyrie Irving wasn’t orchestrated for headlines; it was deeply personal. It’s because a mutual respect has already been brewing between the two, and it dates back to the moment Bueckers was drafted. While we know Paige mentioned Kyrie in her introductory speech, she wasn’t the only one to take that step.

Just hours after her name was called at the draft, Irving surprised her with a heartfelt video message in which he shared, “I’m so excited for your journey ahead… I feel like you’re going to be one of the greats we’ll be talking about when you’re done playing.” And that gesture became a keepsake for Bueckers.

Kyrie even said, “You know you’re always my little sister” in the same message to Bueckers. But while Irving has only recently started tweeting again, Bueckers’ support for him goes way back. She was a true Kyrie fan long before this moment, tweeting back in 2017: “Kyrie the best point guard in the league point blank period,” and “People so sleep on Kyrie… what a shame.” She admired not only his skill but his confidence, once writing, “He’s a dawg 😈‼️🐶.”

So, that long-standing admiration makes her recent wish—“I would like to see Kyrie at a game this year”—feel like more than just a casual request. Now you can imagine what it must have meant for her to finally meet Kyrie Irving.