Cade Cunningham clearly deserved his first All-Star bid after a memorable and productive first half of the 2024-25 season. It’s been a while for Detroit fans who haven’t seen a Piston in the NBA All-Star game since Blake Griffin in 2019.
This year’s All-Star format is far different from past years, as it will feature four teams in a mini-tournament. Three of the teams will have eight NBA All-Stars each, and the fourth team will be the winner of the Rising Stars game, which should add an extra element of excitement, as I am sure they'd love to knock off a team of their elders.
So it will be hard to compare to All-Star games of the past, some of which were dominated by Pistons players. Here are five of the top individual performances from Pistons in All-Star games.
Isiah Thomas, 1986 – 30 points, 10 assists, five steals
This was Thomas in the midst of his prime a couple of years before he first led the Pistons to the NBA Finals (and three before a title run). Thomas was everywhere, shooting 11-for-17 from the field, dazzling the West with the ball in his hand like a string. Zeke was overwhelmingly voted the game’s MVP as the East powered its way to a 139-132 victory.
Bob Lanier, 1974 – 24 points, 10 rebounds
Another Piston shot 11-for-17 from the field 12 years before Thomas did it. Ironically, Lanier also won the MVP after muscling his way inside against Western Conference foes. Lanier outdueled Detroit native Spencer Haywood who scored 23 points as the East captured a 134-123 victory.
Isiah Thomas, 1984 – 21 points, 15 assists
It took overtime for the East to win this one 154-145, and Zeke was as responsible for the victory as anyone on a star-studded East team that included Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkens and others. Thomas was perhaps the most consistent star that night, especially as a distributor. The Pisons weren’t yet a regular among the NBA’s elite, so it was one of the only opportunities to see Detroit’s point guard on TV.
Dave DeBusschere, 1967 – 22 points, six rebounds
DeBusschere may not have been the highest scorer in the game. That went to MVP Rick Barry who scored 38 points in the West’s 135-120 win. But DeBusschere was impressive as well, with 22 points. The catch is that most of that in just one quarter, where DeBusschere scored 16 points alone on eight made field goals.
Of course, the Piston forward had a lot on his mind. Not only was he a player, but he was Detroit’s head coach at the time as well.
Isiah Thomas, 1989 – 19 points, 15 assists
Simply put, Thomas was one of the best All-Star performers of the 1980s and Cade Cunningham hopes to start his journey to join him in the 2025 All-Star event.