Former NBA Champion's Two-Word Cade Cunningham Statement

Cade Cunningham recently landed a solid endorsement.

Dec 21, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks on against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Not every player in today’s NBA can land an endorsement from former hoopers-turned-analysts. More often than not, today’s generation of players find themselves under pressure from the past generation.

For Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, he’s in a unique situation currently, as the one-time NBA Champion Kendrick Perkins recently made a two-word statement regarding the Detroit Pistons guard.

@KendrickPerkins: All-Star

All-Star https://t.co/OaMhCp1wtw

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) January 5, 2025

Cunningham had a major performance in the Pistons’ win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night. Checking in for 38 minutes, Cunningham took 29 of the Pistons’ 93 shots on Saturday. He was successful on 15 of his attempts and knocked down four of his eight shots from three.

The young star finished the game with 40 points, engaging in a scoring shootout with Anthony Edwards. Cunningham was also just one assist shy of an assist and racked up six rebounds and one steal on the defensive end of the floor.

It’s no secret Cunningham is gunning for a spot in the All-Star game. Perkins, a former 16-year NBA veteran, is helping spread the word about Cunningham’s stretch in the 2024-2025 NBA season.

Jan 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) and forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) begin to celebrate after Hardaway was fouled late in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic to help the Pistons to a victory at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham Speaks on 2025 NBA All-Star Campaign

The young veteran’s performance on Saturday was just another statement game, proving he certainly deserves to be in the running so far.

“It feels great, man,” Cunningham told reporters after Saturday’s win.

“It feels great to be winning games. It feels great to be contributing to wins. That’s the main thing. All the things that come with it—it means a lot to me—it means a lot to my family. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming for a long time. I’ve always felt like I belong in those conversations, so to have that recognition means a ton to me. Winning games is the most important thing. I think if I continue to find ways to help my team win, everything I want will come.”

Cade spoke with the media following tonight's dub pic.twitter.com/6KaRmndgEq

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 5, 2025

Cunningham has played at a high level when healthy over the last couple of seasons, but the Pistons’ struggles were difficult to overlook. Last year, Cunningham posted averages of 23 points, eight assists, and four rebounds while knocking down five threes per game on 5.4 attempts per outing.

As a team, the Pistons achieved of record of 14-68. Cunningham wasn’t the issue, but he certainly wasn’t winning enough games to put him in the running for the All-Star conversation.

The 2024-2025 season has been a different story. Through Cunningham’s first 30 games, he is producing 24 points per game while knocking down 37 percent of his threes on 6.5 attempts per game. He’s racking up a higher assists rate than ever, producing nearly ten per game. On the glass, Cunningham has been good for a career-high seven rebounds per game.

Detroit hasn’t been in playoff territory this year, but they remain on the Play-In radar through 35 games. At 17-18, the Pistons are ninth in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Indiana Pacers by half a game.

With some help from the record, Cunningham ranked in the top ten in Eastern Conference backcourt voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star game. With over 247,000 votes, Cunningham is sixth, behind Trae Young, Jalen Brunson, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and LaMelo Ball.