New Orleans Pelican superstar Zion Williamson has announced strong support for his former No. 1 overall pickcade Cunningham.
Sion argued that the Detroit Pistons guards have not received the recognition his elite play deserves during an astonishing breakout season.
Williamson shares the distinction of being selected as a general first with Cunningham, and believes his peers deserve much more recognition of his transformational influence.
“I don’t think people are giving him full respect for him,” Williamson emphasized.
“In my opinion, he’s an all-NBA player this year. He’s doing his thing, but I’m going to have him talk about his work for him, looking at the cade from afar and seeing my few interactions with him.”
Cunningham raised his game to superstar level in 2024-25, posting career-high numbers that put him among the NBA elite.
The third-year security guard averages 25.7 points, earning 9.2 assists per game. This is the third highest assist average in the league.
This statistical explosion helped propel the former broken piston into its fifth position in the Eastern Conference, placing Detroit to an end the painful five-year playoff drought.
Cunningham’s ambitions are not satisfied with being recognized as an All-Star caliber player. The 22-year-old security guard is aiming for the ultimate individual award in basketball.
“I think I can be the best basketball player in the world. I think I’m on my own path,” Cunningham declared with confidence.
“I want people to understand that. That’s what I work to show people every time I play.”
After enduring a challenging losing season to begin his NBA career, Cunningham enjoys a comeback in the team’s competition.
“It’s a very fun game. It’s not fun at all, so playing in a meaningful game and putting yourself in a constantly winning game was a lot of fun this year.”
Cunningham is not just about having a good season. He is approaching historic territory for the renowned Pistons franchise.
His current scoring average got him on track to average over 25 points per game as Jerry Stackhouse accomplished the feat 2000-01.
Even more impressive, Cunningham joined legendary Pistons point guard Isaiah Thomas (who did that six times) and Kevin Porter (13.4 APG from 1978-79) and is poised to be the third player in franchise history and averaged nine or more assists per game season.
If he kept both scoring and playmaking productions, Cunningham became the first piston to record a 25-point nine-assist season, solidifying his place among the franchise’s all-time greats while in the early stages of his promising career.
As the Pistons push towards their first playoff appearance since 2019, Cunningham’s historic campaign is drawing attention to the basketball world, whether they’re ready to give his “full respect” to the basketball world.