Paige Bueckers Ends Rookie Year Paying Homage to a Basketball Great

Stephen Douglas | Sep 12, 2025

Paige Bueckers paid homage to LeBron James after this basket. / Photo by Tim Heitman / NBAE via Getty Images

Paige Bueckers capped off a historic rookie season with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Mercury on Thursday night. While the Wings finished tied for the worst record in the league, Bueckers said that she knew when she looked back at her rookie season at the end of her career she'd be really appreciative.

Despite the lack of wins, Bueckers put on a show more often than not and that was true to the very last game when she took advantage of the modern interpretation of a legal move and stepped through for an easy layup after picking up her dribble around the free throw line. It was undeniably smooth and Bueckers broke out the signature celebration of one of the best to ever play the game as she ran back up the court.

Paige Bueckers COOKED her defender and hit the iconic LeBron James shoulder shrug 👑 pic.twitter.com/o1IScATNIZ

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) September 12, 2025

LeBron James usually feels a little more contact when he does his flexing shrug, but if Buckers has proved anything this season it's that she can get away with whatever she wants on a basketball court.

She had her first double-digit assist game in May and ended up with the third highest assist total by a rookie ever, had her first 30 point game in June and then scored a career-high 44 in August, which is tied for the 10th most points scored in a game in league history.

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