Born in September 2001, Cade Cunningham was six years old when Kevin Durant arrived in the league. Seven years later, in 2014, when the player was elected MVP with the Thunder, the future Detroit player was not yet 13 years old. And when “KD” is at the top of the league, with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018, the young man has not yet celebrated his 18th birthday…
Consequently, the latter is fully a child of this generation, that of LeBron James, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant, all still present on the floors. So he obviously experienced strong emotion when he scored the 3-point basket, which validated the Pistons' victory in Phoenix, on the head of the local star.
“He knows I love going into him and he loves doing that with me too. It’s competition, quite simply”relates the Detroit leader. “Faced with another player, I would have taken this shot in the same conditions. But since it's against him, I take it. »
“This is his year to be an All-Star and reach a milestone”
The first pick of the 2021 Draft finished with 28 points and 13 assists when Kevin Durant scored 43 points. He praised his opponent's performance.
“He’s my brother. I have nothing but love for him. I've known him since he was in high school and he's always been ahead of the others. He’s a tall playmaker who shoots what? More than 20 points and 10 assists? »comments the eighth best scorer in history, compared to Cade Cunningham's 24 points and 9.7 assists on average. “This is his year to be an All-Star and reach a milestone. It's always a pleasure to play against him because we fight. He doesn't see me as the great elder who needs to be taken care of. »
He who already saw himself as an All-Star this season can now count on the vote of Kevin Durant. And even if the two men know each other well, the compliments of the double MVP of the Finals touch him.
“He’s one of the best of all time, a living legend. He still plays but he is one of the greatest. So hearing that from him is nice.”Cade Cunningham book. “It validates my work. I always thought I could be one of the best, but to hear it from such a player, who has done so much, who has been through it, is very gratifying. »
He even adds that “it’s an honor” to face Kevin Durant, “someone I watched when I was a kid. Him, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were so fun to watch”. Thus, the leader of Detroit concludes “that being on the pitch with him, playing against him, getting into him, it’s very pleasant”.
| Cade Cunningham | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | THE | 64 | 33 | 41.6 | 31.4 | 84.5 | 0.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 17.4 |
| 2022-23 | THE | 12 | 33 | 41.5 | 27.9 | 83.7 | 1.0 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 19.9 |
| 2023-24 | THE | 62 | 34 | 44.9 | 35.5 | 86.9 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 22.7 |
| 2024-25 | THE | 25 | 36 | 45.7 | 38.5 | 78.4 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 24.0 |
| Total | 163 | 34 | 43.6 | 33.9 | 84.4 | 0.8 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 7.0 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 20.6 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
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