Cade Cunningham has embraced the culture of Detroit since being taken with the first overall pick in the draft by the Detroit Pistons.
We knew it on draft night, when he broke out the “Buffs” much to the delight of fans who realized that we finally had a star who actually wanted to be in Detroit.
Cade Cunningham talked about this and much more in a recent feature in Slam magazine. He was also on the cover wearing the Pistons’ red city editions, which I have to say are probably one off the best uniforms they’ve ever had.
If you are wondering why half the people you follow on Twitter now have an avatar of Cade Cunningham in a fur coat, it’s because Detroit fashion and culture were at the forefront of the article.
Cade Cunningham is the first Piston since Allen Iverson to make the cover of Slam, which is a right of passage for any young star.
Here are some of the highlights from the interview, much of which was about the culture of the city and the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham is proud to represent Detroit
Cade started by talking about the “Detroit vs. Everybody” mantra, which has become the rallying cry of the city.
"“I just wanted to let the city know [that] I’m fully behind the message. I think the team is [too], at the same time. We’re trying to bring Detroit back on top in the sports world because that’s what we control, but Detroit got a lot of things going on. I think the city’s gonna continue to grow.”"
Troy Weaver has talked a lot about “restoration” when it comes to the Detroit Pistons and getting back to the top of the NBA, but it was also nice to hear Cade mention the city of Detroit itself, which is also making a big comeback.
He also dropped the names of the Detroit hip hop that he listens to, as well as some Detroit-based movies and TV. If you haven’t seen McGraw Ave. definitely check it out:
"“I don’t know if you know about Buffed Up. It’s a little movie. Tough! See, I can put y’all on, fam! Y’all gotta watch McGraw Ave.”"
The feature covered a range of topics including Cade’s easy struggles, the Rookie of the Year award and much more. The Detroit Pistons finally found their star in Cade Cunningham, who has not only embraced Detroit basketball but the culture of the city as well.