Apr 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) bring the ball up court in Game One of the First Round of the NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham Shares Heartfelt Moment With Pistons Executive

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 18, 2025 8:59 PM ET

Last season, there was no bigger storyline for the Detroit Pistons than Cade Cunningham cementing himself as a budding star in the NBA. Coming off his breakout campaign, the former No. 1 pick shared a special moment with a key member of the organization.

After putting together a promising start to his career, things went off the rails for Cunningham when he missed the majority of his sophomore campaign due to injury. He slowly returned to form, putting together an impressive stretch in the latter half of the 2024 season.

The summer of 2024 marked the first time Cunningham had a fully healthy offseason since entering the league, and it did wonders for his development.

Between the added training time, new head coach, and improved supporting cast, the Pistons guard was able to make "the leap." He blossomed into one of the league's premier young talents, leading Detroit to the postseason for the first time since 2019.

Along with recording nine triple-doubles, Cunningham finished the 2025 campaign with averages of 26.1 (career-high) PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG (career-high).

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

In the midst of his best season with the Pistons to date, Cunningham received endless league-wide recognition. He was named an All-Star for the first time and was selected to the All-NBA Third Team. Cunningham also finished third in the voting for Most Improved Player and tied Anthony Edwards for seventh in MVP voting.

Upon achieving these feats, the Pistons made sure to do something special for Cunningham. In their latest episode of "Under the Hood," the curtain was peeled back for a special moment between the star guard and President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon.

Langdon gave Cunningham his plaque to hang on the wall in the facility that highlights every All-Star in franchise history. After that, he gifted him a customized ball to honor his All-NBA nomination.

Being the competitive player that he is, Cunningham quickly set his sights higher. He noted that Isiah Thomas had the most plaques on the wall, a feat he plans to chase. The Pistons star then proclaimed he wants to add more of the custom basketballs to his collection.