Cade Cunningham With Solid Outing in First NBA All-Star Game
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The lights were bright as Oklahoma State had its first player in the NBA All-Star Game in decades.
On Sunday, the NBA had its 74th edition of the All-Star Game, and it was the strangest of any. For the first time, the league had four teams compete in a mini tournament rather than playing a full game.
Former Cowboy star Cade Cunningham made his All-Star debut on Kenny’s Young Stars and had his moments in the game. He finished the All-Star Game with five points, one rebound and one assist. While he didn’t get the typical All-Star experience in his first trip, he will likely have plenty of opportunities to make it back to Sunday throughout his career.
Before Sunday’s All-Star Game, Cunningham was also featured in the NBA’s 3-Point Contest on Saturday night. Not necessarily known for being an outside shooter, Cunningham entered that contest as a heavy underdog but still had a decent outing. His 16 points put him only three away from qualifying for the next round, and his total was better than that of multiple competitors.
While his inclusion in the 3-point contest was a cool moment for the fourth-year star, Cunningham’s debut in the All-Star Game was the highlight of his weekend. Leading the Detroit Pistons to a possible postseason appearance for the first time in six years, Cunningham’s selection was an obvious one.
This season, he has averaged 25.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 9.4 assists across 50 games. With the Pistons sitting in sixth in the Eastern Conference at 29-26, Cunningham has led a basketball resurgence in Detroit.
Over the final 27 games of the regular season, it will be on Cunningham’s shoulders to get the Pistons back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Assuming he can keep Detroit in the playoff picture, simply winning a playoff game would be a monumental success, considering the Pistons’ most recent playoff victory came in 2008.
After bursting onto the scene in Stillwater in the 2020-21 season, it was clear Cunningham’s stardom would transcend beyond OSU. Although he had a less-than-ideal start to his NBA career, Cunningham’s talent is undeniable as he makes waves in his fourth season.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.