Just a few weeks ago, Nike shocked the NBA community when they announced Cade Cunningham would be getting his own signature shoe with the company. Not only was this a major tip of the cap to Cade himself, but it added another current basketball star to what has become a very esteemed list of athletes.

Cunningham had arguably the best season of his career with the Detroit Pistons last year, averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.3 rebounds across 70 games. He finished seventh in MVP voting, became an All-Star for the first time in his career, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

Not to mention, he led the Pistons to the postseason for the first time in six years — and did it coming off a 14-win season the year prior.

A Legend Speaks 

New York Knicks legend and six-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony recently commented on Cunningham’s rise, discussing what it truly means for a company to trust a player enough to give them their own sneaker line.

“He’s proven himself. To the corporate world, to say he’s proven himself. Businesses are saying they want to build a business around this kid; they trust him. It’s not that easy to become a signature athlete.”

Joining An Elite Crew

Cunningham has grown tremendously throughout his career, elevating a franchise that had seen some of its darkest days all the way to the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Being named a part of Nike’s signature roster is a big deal — he now joins names such as Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Ja Morant in that exclusive category.

“You can go back to when there were signature athletes; it’s a closed-off group. Every day, you gotta compete to continue being up there. Style of play, you gotta be relatable, and you gotta have that ‘IT’ factor to you.”

As it stands, Cunningham has proven time and time again he does have that IT factor. He’s already dropped 30+ points five different times, recorded a 46-point performance, and scored 34 points on 70%+ shooting in another game. Cade hasn’t just become the face of Detroit — he’s become the team’s leader.

Cunningham is expected to have his signature shoe released in the second half of the regular season as part of his six-year deal. For now, he’ll continue leading his team to the top of the standings in what has been a season exceeding expectations by a mile.