New Orleans Pelicans famous person Zion Williamson has issued a robust endorsement of fellow former No. 1 total decide Cade Cunningham.
Zion asserted that the Detroit Pistons guard isn’t receiving the popularity his elite play deserves throughout a outstanding breakout season.
Williamson, who shares the excellence of being chosen first total with Cunningham, believes his peer deserves way more recognition for his transformative impression.
“I don’t suppose individuals are giving him his full respect,” Williamson acknowledged emphatically.
“For my part, he’s an All-NBA participant this 12 months. He’s been doing his factor, however from watching Cade from afar and my few interactions with him, he’s any person that’s gonna let his work communicate for him.”
Cunningham has taken his sport to famous person ranges in 2024-25, posting career-high numbers that place him among the many NBA’s elite.
The third-year guard is averaging a powerful 25.7 factors whereas allotting 9.2 assists per sport—the third-highest help common in all the league.
This statistical explosion has helped propel the once-struggling Pistons to the fifth place within the Jap Convention, positioning Detroit to finish their painful five-year playoff drought.
Not content material with being recognised as an All-Star calibre participant, Cunningham’s ambitions lengthen far past his present achievements. The 22-year-old guard has set his sights on basketball’s final particular person award.
“I feel I could be the very best basketball participant on the earth. I feel I’m on my method,” Cunningham declared confidently.
“I need individuals to know that and that’s what I’m working to point out individuals each time I play.”
After enduring difficult dropping seasons to start his NBA profession, Cunningham is relishing the workforce’s aggressive resurgence.
“It’s loads of enjoyable profitable video games. It’s not enjoyable dropping in any respect, so enjoying in significant video games and always placing ourselves ready to win has been loads of enjoyable this 12 months.”
Cunningham isn’t simply having a great season—he’s approaching historic territory for the storied Pistons franchise.
His present scoring common places him on observe to change into the primary Detroit participant to common 25+ factors per sport since Jerry Stackhouse achieved the feat in 2000-01.
Much more impressively, Cunningham is poised to affix legendary Pistons level guard Isiah Thomas (who did it six occasions) and Kevin Porter (13.4 APG in 1978-79) as simply the third participant in franchise historical past to common 9 or extra assists per sport in a season.
Ought to he keep each his scoring and playmaking manufacturing, Cunningham would change into the primary Piston ever to document a 25-point, 9-assist season, cementing his place among the many franchise’s all-time greats whereas nonetheless within the early levels of his promising profession.
Because the Pistons push towards their first playoff look since 2019, Cunningham’s historic marketing campaign is forcing the basketball world to take discover—whether or not they’re prepared to provide him his “full respect” or not.
