Boston Celtics legend Rajon Rondo wants to coach young players rising in the NBA.
With LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and others reaching their Twilight years, the NBA is looking for a young star who can one day replace them as the face of the NBA.
The likes of Paolo Banchero and Victor Wembanyama have been touted by many NBA fans as the next big thing in the league.
Another star you can add to that list is Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Piston star. In fact, Boston Celtics legend Rajon Rondo believes Cunningham can take the game to the next level.
During the heyday of his career, Rondo was one of the best security guards in the league, and his playmaking was his greatest strength.
On top of that, Rondo has shown an incredible IQ throughout his career. The double NBA champion wants to pass his knowledge on to the next generation, and Cunningham is already eye-catching.
“If you can understand how to manage your game in Cade. He is a 3rd level scorer, so you can control the game on both ends of the floor.
“So if I could get Cade Cunningham, I think he could be that type of point guard.”
The former NBA veteran claims that the piston star needs some tweaks, so Rondo doesn’t think Cade needs to make any major adjustments to the game.
“It’s just a few tweaks, and it’s about people too, if he has to be a guy, if he has to get 30, that’s what he has to do.
“But if he had two more superstars in the game, he wouldn’t have to score 30 every night,” Rondo said.
With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it was only a matter of time before Cunningham began to hurt his potential in the league.
Well, Cunningham made that leap last season, averaging 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. Cade also won the first ever NBA All-Star selection.
| statistics | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| point | 17.4 ppg | 19.9 ppg | 22.7 ppg | 26.1 ppg |
| rebound | 5.5 RPG | 6.2 RPG | 4.3 RPG | 6.1 RPG |
| assist | 5.6 APG | 6.0 APG | 7.5 APG | 9.1 APG |
The Cherry On Top has led the Pistons to their first NBA playoffs since the 2018-19 season as the organization finished the season with a 44-38 record in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons saw the first round exit in the postseason, but Cunningham averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game in six games.