The Detroit Pistons may have recorded a tough 107-129 loss against the Sacramento Kings on Monday, but they can at least feel good about their future. The Pistons’ rookie guard Cade Cunningham had his best performance as a pro and even managed to make a bit of NBA history.
Cunningham, who was selected first overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, finished the night with a career-high 25 points. He added eight boards, eight assists, and two steals while shooting 10-of-20 from the game and making five out of his 11 three-point attempts.
Shortly after the game wrapped up, the Pistons announced on social media that Cunningham became the youngest player in NBA history to post a stat line of at least 25 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and five made threes. He did it while 20 years and 51 days old, beating out LA Lakers superstar LeBron James (20 years, 100 days), Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young (20 years, 163 days), and Dallas Mavericks phenom Luka Doncic (20 years, 248 days).
Cade Cunningham struggled a lot with injuries early in his rookie campaign and is having a slower start than many predicted. In eight games he played so far in 2021-22, Cunningham is averaging 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. His shooting numbers are more alarming, as he is only making 34.8 percent of his shots from the floor and connecting on just 27.6 percent of his shots from deep. However, this game was an optimistic change.
