Feb 21, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Which NBA Legend Inspired Pistons' Cade Cunningham The Most?

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 10:33 PM ET

Long before he was the face of the Detroit Pistons franchise, Cade Cunningham was a young kid with dreams of playing the sport he loves at the highest level. The same way he is serving as inspiration for future players, he had idols of his own.

Over the past year, Cunningham has become a hot topic in the basketball world. The Pistons drastically altered their perception around the league last season, and Cunningham played a big part in that. At the age of 23, he put together a breakout campaign that put him in the conversation with the league's best young players.

The Pistons had dreams of Cunningham being "the guy" for them when they drafted him first overall in 2021, and he's starting to meet that expectation. Aside from getting Detroit to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, he landed on an All-NBA team after posting averages of 26.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 9.1 APG.

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Being selected No. 1 overall in 2021 was an unforgettable moment for Cunningham that changed his life forever. Shortly after hearing his name called, he reflected on his basketball idols. As a native of Texas, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is someone that Cunningham always looked up to.

"Growing up, Dirk Nowitzki was always my favorite player," Cunningham said. "Being from Arlington, and being from the DFW area, having the Dallas Mavericks win a championship in 2011. Seeing that was inspiration for me. Basketball was always something I loved, but to see my city's team reach the highest point of that, I wanted to reach that as well. I would say Dirk is the No. 1 guy for me."

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Nowitzki is still widely regarded as one of the best international talents to ever step foot in the NBA. He was the face of the Dallas Mavericks for two decades, delivering the franchise a championship on one occasion.

While they don't have a similar play style, Nowitzki is still a good source of inspiration for Cunningham. He embodied what it meant to be a pillar for a franchise, and navigated the ups and downs en route to finally reaching the NBA mountaintop.

With the Pistons starting to climb the ranks in the East, Cunningham can begin pursuing his goal of leading his team to a title similar to his idol.

This article first appeared on Detroit Pistons on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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