Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images; Raymond Hall/GC Images
Vanessa Hudgens shoots… and she scores!
Fresh off her recent split from longtime boyfriend Austin Butler, the actress was spotted out enjoying a dinner date with Los Angeles Lakers star Kyle Kuzma.
According to photos obtained by TMZ, Vanessa and Kyle got to know each other a bit better over a bottle of wine at Italian restaurant Lilia in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening. Dressed in a black turtleneck sweater (a date night staple, btw), Vanessa looked perfectly happy in the NBA player’s company.
It’s possible Vanessa and Kyle were simply meeting up as friends, but their recent social media activity has some fans speculating about a likely rebound.
Kyle, 24, captioned a recent Instagram photo, “Yeaaaa we like thatttt,” to which Vanessa, 31, replied flirtatiously, “Ya we doooo.” The former Disney darling also cheered on Kyle at last week’s Lakers game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and gave the athlete a shout out.
“Ugh @lakers @kingjames @kuz @dwighthoward my heros,” she captioned a video of Kyle making a basket.
The Lakers are scheduled to take on the New York Knicks tomorrow at Madison Square Garden, so only time will tell if Kyle’s cheerleader is sitting courtside once again.
Vanessa and Kyle have yet to address the relationship speculation, but there’s no denying she’s ready to embrace the next chapter of her life. Between extravagant red carpet moments to spending quality time with her besties, the single life looks good on Vanessa.
As for why she and Austin called it quits after nearly nine years together, sources said it came down to distance.
“They’re just shooting on two different continents and it’s a matter of distance,” one source explained. “There is no bad blood at all, and they have a lot of respect for each other.”
A second insider added, “They have such a history and deep connection they could find their way back to one another.”
But for now, Vanessa is wining and dining her way through life alongside Kyle.