All Pistons

Pistons Player Corrects Reporter With Bold Cade Cunningham Take

Tim Hardaway had a bold statement regarding Cade Cunningham after the Pistons' victory against the Raptors.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

In this story:

Detroit PistonsToronto Raptors

Tim Hardaway Jr doesn’t feel satisfied with the idea that Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham could just have a reputation as one of the best guards in the Eastern Conference.

The former Dallas Mavericks forward is sure that Cunningham is one of the best in the league at his position.

When a reporter fired off a Cunningham-related question by mentioning the former No. 1 overall pick as a top guard in the conference, Hardaway had to interrupt to get it right in his mind.

“Cade’s obviously been one of the best guards in the East….”

“In the NBA”

“In the NBA.”

“There we go.”

The Pistons posted the interaction with a message attached.

@Detroit Pistons: Put some respect on Cade name

All season long, Cunningham has been on a tear, showing signs of taking another notable step in the right direction. Saturday’s action against the Toronto Raptors featured just another dominant showing by the fourth-year guard.

In 37 minutes of action, Cunningham made eight of his 17 shots from the field. He knocked down two of his four attempts from beyond the arc. The young veteran scored 22 points.

Along with his scoring, Cunningham produced another triple-double on the year by dishing out 17 assists and coming down with 10 rebounds. Defensively, Cunningham snatched one steal and also blocked two shots.

Heading into Saturday night’s game, Cunningham was having a career-best run. He was posting averages of 24 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. From the field, he’s knocking down shots at a 46 percent clip and averaging 38 percent from three.

When the NBA released its second return for fan votes ahead of the 2025 NBA All-Star game, Cunningham remained as a top-ten vote-getter. The Pistons hope to hear soon that Cunningham is the team’s first All-Star since Blake Griffin.

As for Hardaway, he sees Cunningham in a much brighter light.

More Pistons on SI

Former NBA Champion's Two-Word Cade Cunningham Statement

Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson First to Post Statline in NBA History

Pistons Guard's Blunt Statement on Anthony Edwards' Career-High

Detroit Pistons Making Series of Roster Moves Before Blazers Matchup

Published
Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

Share on XFollow JGrasso_
Home/News