Pistons Superstar Cade Cunningham Isn't Content With No. 1 Seed in Eastern Conference

Cade Cunningham is simply a superstar.

Whether it's on the basketball court collecting double-doubles like it's clockwork or off the court as the stoic voice and leader of the locker room, Cade Cunningham has properly arrived as an NBA superstar this season. GQ Magazine announced this morning that Cunningham is their latest cover star.

He’s described in the piece as a “precocious 24-year-old who’s strapped the team to his back.” Cunningham is doing exactly this, but even Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff admitted this week on the Road Trippin' podcast explained how they're slightly ahead of schedule on their development timeline. "It's quicker than a lot of people thought," Bickerstaff said.

Cunningham didn't just participate in a photoshoot for GQ, but he also sat down for an interview with GQ to talk about the Pistons' quick rise to stardom and success.

Cade Cunningham with Jalen Duren and JB Bickerstaff at All-Sta — Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Team USA Stars guard Cade Cunningham (2) of the Detroit Pistons and head coach J. B. Bickerstaff lift the trophy during the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Cade Cunningham stresses again that the Pistons need to win more

Despite the storied and successful history attached to the Detroit Pistons organization, basketball fans in the United States and around the world think about the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and other larger market team before ever thinking about Detroit as a major powerhouse of an organization.

At 24, the Detroit Pistons point guard has begun to steadily reverse the fate of his long-beleaguered franchise—becoming one of the youngest and most laid-back members of the league’s ultra elite. GQ hung out with him in the Motor City and his hometown of Dallas to learn the…
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) February 19, 2026

The truth is that Detroit has three banners hanging inside Little Caesars Arena, 11 retired jerseys, and legendary moments you can't exclude from the story of the NBA. As great as Cunningham has been in five NBA seasons, Cunningham isn't ready to include himself in the group of Pistons legends.

"I probably won’t feel that way until I get a couple rings, honestly...I think that’s what it’ll take for me to feel like, ‘Man, this is my city.’ I don’t feel like the city should crown me that, because guys have won here."
Cade Cunningham with GQ

Cunningham may not be there yet, but he's certainly in the fast lane to getting there. The Pistons sit at the very top of the Eastern conference with a 5.5 game lead in front of Jaylen Brown and the second place Boston Celtics.

Cunningham reflects on the past

Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons have come a long way together. The Pistons' togetherness is something Bickerstaff has emphasized in interviews throughout All-Star Weekend. Cunningham reflected on where the Pistons used to be as well.

“It was a bullshit year [2023-2024]...But there was not a day where guys quit.”
Cade Cunningham with GQ

The 2023-2024 season was Cunningham's third year in the league and his first season averaging more than 20 points per game. Cunningham's development was on the right track, but the cast around him wasn't a winning recipe for success. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The Pistons suffered through a historic 28-game losing streak that didn't end until a December two-point win against the Toronto Raptors.

Elsewhere in the interview Cunningham dives heavily into the foul-baiting problem throughout the NBA and how he feels about being considered an "ethical" hooper compared to others who constantly search for whistles.