Cade Cunningham has never shied away from pressure. And now, as he enters the postseason as the undisputed leader of the revitalized Detroit Pistons, he’s making one thing abundantly clear—he wants the crown.
Sitting down with ESPN’s Shams Charania ahead of Detroit’s first-round clash against the New York Knicks, the 23-year-old phenom opened up about his growth, mindset, and unapologetic ambition to become the face of the league.
The third-year guard is putting up All-NBA caliber numbers: 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game on 46.9% shooting from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc.
But beyond the stats, Cade has injected belief back into a city known for its grit and grind. In his own words, being in Detroit has shaped his entire approach to the game.
“Yeah, I mean, when you’re in Detroit for long enough, I think it’s just naturally like infectious like it’s contagious. You know what I’m saying? Everybody’s walking around with it. Everybody kind of carries it with them.”
“So I think that’s the first step of being an athlete in Detroit is you got to play hard. You got to have some type of grit. Grit is the word that everybody always uses.”
Cade’s leadership and maturity have taken a massive leap this season. He carries himself like a seasoned veteran, even though he’s still just scratching the surface of his potential. When asked what he wants to accomplish in the league, Cunningham didn’t hold back.
“I want to be the best player in the world. That’s every day, you know what I’m saying? That’s what my phone tells me every day, is best player in the world,. That’s the only thing I’m striving for and having the best team in the world.”
“I don’t think there’s too many players that you could argue above me. Obviously the playoffs is going to determine a lot and so that’s why I’m just excited and looking forward to these series and getting this thing rolling and waking people up as far as what is in Detroit and the type of respect that we deserve.”
Cunningham’s tone wasn’t arrogant, just resolute. He knows that postseason success will play a large part in earning that recognition. With the Pistons heading into a bruising first-round series against the New York Knicks, Cade is relishing the challenge.
“It’s gonna be a war. It’s gonna be highly physical games, defense, you know, battling it out on the glass, all of those different things. I think it’s gonna be a super exciting series for people at home to watch.”
“And it’s gonna be a great test for us as far as first round, first series, and, you know, a long time for the organization. And so it’s exciting.”
Pistons' Cade Cunningham sits down for ESPN NBA Countdown: "I want to be the best player in the world. Every day … I don't think there's too many players that you could argue above me."
On the contagious Bad Boys era in Detroit, being a young face of the league, Knicks series: pic.twitter.com/msYuHvngO0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 13, 2025
Just a year ago, the Pistons were the laughingstock of the NBA. They finished with a humiliating 14-68 record, including a historic 30-game losing streak. Head coach Monty Williams was relieved of his duties, and it seemed like yet another rebuild was in the cards for a franchise that hadn’t been relevant since the mid-2000s.
But that narrative has been flipped on its head. Under new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Detroit clawed its way to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record—a 30-win improvement that no one saw coming.
And the engine behind that turnaround? Cade Cunningham.
This is what Cade has been building toward since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2021. Injuries and inconsistent rosters held him back in his first three years, but now he’s healthy, confident, and with a team finally taking shape around him, he’s locked in on a mission.
Whether it’s being the best player in the league or leading the Pistons to the promised land, Cade’s not hiding from the spotlight.
If he keeps this up, no one will have to figure it out. They’ll already know. Cade Cunningham isn’t waiting for permission—he’s coming for the crown.
