Cade Cunningham Makes Bold Claim Amid Breakout Season

Pistons star believes he can be best player in the world.

Mar 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Every season, the NBA sees new promising young talents make the leap to becoming a star-level talent, In 2025, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham solidified himself as this year's breakout performer.

Now in his fourth season, Cunningham has shown the league why Detroit made the right choice by selecting him No. 1 overall back in 2021. He's elevated his game in numerous facets, and it's resulted in a historic turnaround for the Pistons.

A few months removed from making his first All-Star team, Cunningham is gearing up for his first postseason run with the Pistons. As his breakout year slowly comes to an end, the young guard sat down with ESPN to discuss a variety of topics. When talking about his growth, Cunningham didn't shy away from his confidence in himself or his game. He feels he still has room to improve and believes he could become one of the top players in the world later down the road.

"I think I can be the best basketball player in the world. I think I'm on my way," Cunningham said. "I want people to understand that and that's what I'm working to show people every time I play."

"I think I can be the best basketball player in the world."@E_Woodyard on how Cade Cunningham has the Pistons on the verge of the NBA playoffs and he's just getting started 📈 https://t.co/19kzWI3wjz

— ESPN (@espn) April 2, 2025

As a jumbo-sized point guard who can do just about everything on the floor, Cunningham has all the tools to become an elite talent. Still, a few years away from his prime, there is no telling what his game will look like at its peak.

Fresh off handing him the largest contract in franchise history, the Pistons should be beyond excited in what they've seen in Cunningham this year. Not only has his play improved, but he's poised to be a leader for the franchise for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, the star guard will gear up for his first taste of postseason action.