Cade Cunningham

Cade Parker Cunningham (born September 25, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Bowie High School in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, before transferring to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he was rated a consensus five-star recruit and among the top players in the 2020 class by major recruiting services. As a senior, he led one of the best high school teams in history and received national player of the year recognition.

Cade Cunningham
Cunningham with Detroit Pistons in 2022
No. 2 – Detroit Pistons
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2001-09-25) September 25, 2001
Arlington, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeOklahoma State (2020–2021)
NBA draft2021: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Detroit Pistons
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–presentDetroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal – first place2019 GreeceTeam

Cunningham committed to playing college basketball for Oklahoma State, and was named a consensus first-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year after his freshman season with the team. He won a gold medal with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. He was the NBA first overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2021 NBA draft.

Early life and career

Cunningham was born in Arlington, Texas, to Carrie and Keith Cunningham.[1] He grew up playing football as a quarterback, which he believes helped him become a better passer and leader on the basketball court. Cunningham focused on basketball after watching his brother play the sport in college.[2] He frequently played basketball with his father and brother at a recreation center.[3] Cunningham played the point guard position for Barnett Junior High School in Arlington.[4] Since his childhood, he competed for the Texas Titans on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit alongside future TCU player Mike Miles Jr..[5]

High school career

Cunningham attended Bowie High School in Arlington. Soon into his freshman season, he became a starter on the varsity team, which also featured Kyler Edwards.[4][6] Cunningham averaged 15.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, helping Bowie reach the District 6A Region I final. He was subsequently named District 4-6A Newcomer of the Year.[7] In December 2017, early in his sophomore season, he suffered an injury while attempting to dunk at a tournament in Houston.[8] Cunningham finished the season averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He was named District 4-6A co-most valuable player (MVP) and earned Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region honors.[1][7][9]

Cunningham with the Texas Titans at the EYBL in 2019

Entering his junior year, Cunningham transferred to Montverde Academy, a school in Montverde, Florida with a successful basketball program. He chose Montverde, whose team was ranked number one in the country by USA Today, for its academics and coaching.[10] On February 2, 2019, at the National Hoopfest tournament, Cunningham recorded 26 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds in a 76–51 win against Oak Hill Academy, one of the top high school teams nationally.[11] By the end of his junior season, he was averaging 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.[12] Following the high school season, Cunningham was named Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) MVP after averaging 25.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for the Texas Titans in the EYBL regular season.[13] He was teammates with Greg Brown and Mike Miles Jr. with the Titans.[14]

For his senior season at Montverde, he was joined by many more top recruits, including five-star forwards Scottie Barnes and Day'Ron Sharpe. Many analysts regarded his team as one of the best in high school basketball history.[15] Cunningham averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game, leading Montverde to a 25–0 record with an average margin of victory of 39 points. He played only 22 minutes per game due to the depth of his team.[16] At the end of the season, Cunningham was honored as Mr. Basketball USA, Naismith Prep Player of the Year, and MaxPreps National Player of the Year.[16][17] He was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18]

Recruiting

Cunningham emerged as a top-25 recruit in the 2020 class at the end of his sophomore season at Bowie. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best players in his class.[19] Cunningham received offers from top NCAA Division I programs, including Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina, but many analysts viewed Oklahoma State as his likely destination after the program hired his brother Cannen as an assistant coach.[20] On November 5, 2019, Cunningham announced his commitment to Oklahoma State. He became the highest-ranked committed recruit in program history and the first five-star recruit to join Oklahoma State since Marcus Smart in 2012.[21] In June 2020, the NCAA imposed a postseason ban on Oklahoma State. Cunningham announced on June 22 that he would still play for the team.[22]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Cade Cunningham
PG		 Arlington, TX Montverde Academy (FL) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Nov 5, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 97
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 2
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Oklahoma State 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  • "2020 Oklahoma State Cowboys Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 16, 2020.

College career
Cunningham with Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2020

In his college debut for Oklahoma State on November 25, 2020, Cunningham recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 75–68 win over UT Arlington.[23] On December 8, he scored 29 points, including 13 in the final 91 seconds, in an 83–78 victory over Oral Roberts.[24] On December 12, Cunningham made a game-winning three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to help defeat Wichita State 67–64.[25] On February 27, 2021, he posted a career-high 40 points and 11 rebounds in a 94–90 overtime win against Oklahoma.[26] The performance helped him earn Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors.[27] Cunningham posted 25 points, eight rebounds, and five assists in an 83–74 upset win against top-seeded Baylor in the Big 12 tournament semifinals on March 12, 2021.[28] As a freshman, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.[29]

After his freshman season, Cunningham was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American. He was the first Oklahoma State player to earn the distinction since Bob Kurland (1944–46).[30] He became the fourth player to win Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Freshman of the Year in the same season, joining Marcus Smart, Kevin Durant, and Michael Beasley.[31] He was unanimously selected to the first-team All-Big 12, the All-Freshman Team, and the All-Newcomer Team.[32] Cunningham received major NCAA Division I freshman of the year honors, among them the Wayman Tisdale Award, Sporting News Freshman of the Year, and National Association of Basketball Coaches Freshman of the Year.[33][34][35]

On April 1, 2021, Cunningham announced that he would enter the 2021 NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility. Analysts regarded him as the consensus number one pick in the draft.[36]

Professional career

Detroit Pistons (2021–present)

2021–2022: Rookie Campaign

Cunningham was drafted with the first overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons.[37] On August 8, 2021, he made his debut in the 2021 NBA Summer League in a 76–72 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in which he posted 12 points, six rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes.[38] Cunningham lost part of the training camp, all of the preseason, and five of Detroit's first six games due to an ankle injury.[39] On October 30, he made his NBA debut, putting up two points, two assists, and seven rebounds in a 110–103 win over the Orlando Magic.[40] After five games, Cunningham posted his first 40-plus field-goal percentage, and he had an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in his third NBA game.[39] On November 15, Cunningham became the youngest player in NBA history to tally at least 25 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists with five three-pointers in a game at 20 years, 51 days. He topped LeBron James (20 years, 100 days) and Trae Young (20 years, 163 days).[41] On November 21, he notched a triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 121–116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers to become the eighth-youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double and the youngest in Pistons history.[42]

On January 25, 2022, Cunningham recorded 34 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, four blocks, and two steals in a 110–105 loss to the Denver Nuggets, joining Michael Jordan as the only rookies in NBA history to post these basketball statistics in a single game.[43][44] He was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in January.[45] Cunningham was named MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge on February 18, 2022.[46] For the month of March, Cunningham averaged 22.9 points, 7 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game, becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to average those numbers over the course of a month.[47] After March 1, Cunningham averaged 21.2 points on 46.2 percent shooting and 6.7 assists per game for the rest of the season.[39]

He averaged a rookie-best 17.4 points, plus 5.6 assists and 5.5 rebounds, to finish the season. He became one of only 10 NBA players to average 17 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds in their rookie season, joining Luka Doncic, Tyreke Evans, LeBron James, Steve Francis, Grant Hill, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Alvan Adams, and Oscar Robertson, becoming the only player other than Magic Johnson on that list to not win Rookie of the Year.[48] He ultimately finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley, receiving a total of 9 first-place votes.[49]

2022–2023: Season-ending Surgery

On October 28, 2022, Cunningham scored a career-high 35 points, along with recording nine rebounds and eight assists, during a 132–116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.[50] On December 12, it was announced Cunningham would undergo season-ending surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left shin. Prior to his injury, he averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and six assists, shooting 41.5% overall and 27.9% on three-point attempts in 12 games.[51]

National team career

Cunningham played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece.[52] In seven games, he averaged 11.7 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[53] In the finals, Cunningham led all scorers with 21 points, along with seven rebounds and seven assists, in a 93–79 win over Mali.[54]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Detroit 646432.6.416.314.8455.55.61.2.717.4
2022–23 Detroit 121233.3.415.279.8376.26.0.8.619.9
Career 767632.7.416.309.8445.65.61.2.717.8

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Oklahoma State 272635.4.438.400.8466.23.51.6.820.1

Personal life

Cunningham's father Keith played college football for Texas Tech.[55] His older brother Cannen played college basketball for SMU, surpassing the school record for games played, before spending one professional season in Poland.[56] Cannen later pursued a coaching career, becoming an assistant coach for Oklahoma State entering the 2019–20 season.[57] Cunningham has a daughter named Riley, born in 2018.[58] He has been a vegan since 2019.[59]

References
  1. "Cade Cunningham". USA Basketball. June 20, 2019. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  2. Francisco, Alexandra (January 21, 2019). "Quarterback of the court: How football helped Cade Cunningham become a 5-star basketball prospect". The Republican. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  3. Daniels, Evan (July 1, 2019). "Cade Cunningham excels with u19 team, talks recruiting". 247Sports. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  4. Wright, Mark (January 27, 2017). "Towering Bowie freshman plays like a standout at age 15". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  5. Unruh, Jacob (December 15, 2020). "OSU basketball: Cade Cunningham faces unique challenge this week — his close friends". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. Scitt, Marshall (November 25, 2020). "Cade Arrives: How an Unlikely No. 1 Recruit Starts a New Era for OSU Hoops". Pistols Firing. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  7. Gosset, Brian (July 19, 2018). "One of the top basketball prospects in DFW is moving out of state to a national power". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  8. Wright, Mark (December 15, 2017). "Why this team isn't freaking out about an injury to its standout sophomore". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  9. "2018 SportsDayHS boys basketball All-District lists for area teams". The Dallas Morning News. March 22, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  10. Riddle, Greg (July 20, 2018). "Why 5-star basketball recruit Cade Cunningham is leaving Arlington Bowie to join the nation's No. 1 HS team". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  11. Collings, Buddy (February 2, 2019). "Montverde beats Oak Hill at Hoopfest in Tampa". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  12. Divens, Jordan (April 17, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Junior All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  13. "Nike EYBL Most Valuable Player: Cade Cunningham". D1 Circuit. July 5, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  14. Cook, Lyndon (January 8, 2019). "Cunningham continues the Texas Titans - Drive Nation summer arms race". Rivals. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  15. O'Donnell, Ricky (January 21, 2020). "Why Montverde is being called the best high school basketball team ever". SB Nation. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  16. Divens, Jordan (March 25, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 High School Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Cade Cunningham". MaxPreps. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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  18. Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
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  21. "Cade Cunningham commits to Oklahoma State". Yahoo Sports. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  22. Borzello, Jeff (June 22, 2020). "Top recruit Cade Cunningham still going to Oklahoma State despite postseason ban". ESPN. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  23. "Cunningham double-double helps Oklahoma St. top UT Arlington". Oklahoma State Cowboys. November 25, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  24. "Cunningham outduels Abmas, Oklahoma St. beats Oral Roberts". ESPN. Associated Press. December 8, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  25. Boone, Kyle (December 12, 2020). "Watch: Oklahoma State star freshman Cade Cunningham buries late game-winning shot to beat Wichita State". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  26. Medcalf, Myron (February 27, 2021). "Cade Cunningham powers Oklahoma State's NCAA tournament bid -- but will the Cowboys be allowed in?". ESPN. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  27. "Oklahoma State's Cunningham is Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week". United States Basketball Writers Association. March 2, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  28. Borzello, Jeff (March 12, 2021). "Oklahoma State stuns Baylor, nears 'vision' of Big 12 men's tournament title". ESPN. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  29. Rafferty, Scott (April 1, 2021). "Potential No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham declares for 2021 NBA Draft". NBA.com. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  30. "Cade Cunningham Collects NABC Award, Named Consensus First Team All-American". KFOR-TV. March 18, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  31. Medcalf, Myron (March 8, 2021). "Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham named Big 12 men's hoops player of the year". ESPN. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  32. "Cade Earns Big 12 Player, Freshman of the Year Awards, Likekele HM All-Conference". Oklahoma State University Athletics. March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  33. Bonner II, Frank (March 23, 2021). "OSU's Cade Cunningham named Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  34. DeCourcy, Mike (March 9, 2021). "Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham is Sporting News' Freshman of the Year". Sporting News. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  35. Bonner II, Frank (April 2, 2021). "Cade Cunningham earns NABC Freshman of the Year award". Tulsa World. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  36. Zucker, Joseph (April 1, 2021). "Cade Cunningham Officially Declares for 2021 NBA Draft; Possible No. 1 Pick". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  37. Langlois, Keith (July 29, 2021). "'We want Cade!' – wish granted as Pistons grab Cunningham with No. 1 pick". NBA.com. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  38. "Oklahoma City vs. Detroit - Game Summary - August 8, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  39. Buckley, Zach (April 14, 2022). "Grading Every 2022 NBA Team's Rookie Class". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  40. Woodyard, Eric (October 30, 2021). "Cade Cunningham to 'play free' after getting past injury-delayed Detroit Pistons debut". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  41. "Cade Cunningham becomes youngest ever to record latest stat line". The Rookie Wire. November 16, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  42. "Cade Cunningham became youngest Pistons player to notch triple-double". The Rookie Wire. November 22, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  43. Sankofa II, Omari (January 25, 2022). "Cade Cunningham's career night not enough as Detroit Pistons lose to Nuggets, 110-105". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  44. Williams, Lauren (January 26, 2022). "Pistons Cade Cunningham joins Michael Jordan in NBA history books following career night". MLive. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  45. "Cade Cunningham, Josh Giddey named NBA Rookies of the Month". NBA.com. February 2, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  46. Bontemps, Tim (February 18, 2022). "Cade Cunningham named MVP in revamped Rising Stars Challenge". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  47. Samillano, Gerard Angelo (April 1, 2022). "Cade Cunningham's Incredible Piece Of NBA History Only Michael Jordan Ever Reached". ClutchPoints. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  48. "Cade Cunningham Should STILL Be Rookie Of The Year...Even He Thinks So". All Pistons. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  49. "Toronto's Scottie Barnes wins 2021-22 Kia Rookie of the Year award". NBA.com. April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  50. Cunningham scores career-high 35, but Pistons lose to Hawks again, 136-112
  51. Sankofa II, Omari (December 12, 2022). "Cade Cunningham to undergo surgery, miss rest of Detroit Pistons' 2022-23 season". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  52. O'Donnell, Ricky (July 27, 2019). "Meet the future NBA studs carrying USA Basketball as high schoolers". SB Nation. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  53. "Cade Cunningham (USA)'s profile". FIBA. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  54. DeCourcy, Mike (July 7, 2019). "Elite prospect Cade Cunningham helps USA Basketball again conquer FIBA U19 World Cup". Sporting News. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  55. Pulliam, Spencer. "Peach Invitational Tournament: 8th Grade Pool Play Recap (Part I)". Prep Insiders. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  56. "Cannen Cunningham". Tulane Athletics. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  57. "Cannen Cunningham, brother of one of nation's top recruits, joins OSU basketball staff". Tulsa World. June 25, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  58. Unruh, Jacob (March 18, 2021). "What drives Cade Cunningham? How three women in Oklahoma State star's family inspire him". The Oklahoman. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  59. Laurin, Emmanuel (June 13, 2021). "À 19 ans, Cade Cunningham est déjà prêt pour la Grande Ligue". Basket USA (in French). Retrieved July 16, 2021.
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