The Detroit Pistons' All-Star made waves with a big purchase on Thursday afternoon
Hailing from the Lone Star State, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham knows what it means to be true to his roots.
After leaving the state of Texas to attend college at Oklahoma State before joining the Pistons, Cunningham never drifted from the area he grew up. Earlier this season, Cunningham stopped in at his high school for a special ceremony where his jersey was retired in front of his family, friends and Detroit teammates.
But on Thursday, Cunningham further lodged a connection to the place that he calls home while also fulfilling what can only be described as a childhood dream by purchasing a minority ownership share of the Texas Rangers, the baseball team that Motown’s All-Star grew up supporting.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Cunningham told him directly that he’d purchased an ownership stake in the Rangers, which makes sense given his roots in Arlington, Texas. Last season, the Rangers finished exactly at .500 with an 81-81 record and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year after winning the World Series in 2023.
Back in July, Cunningham made an appearance at a Rangers game to throw out the first pitch, so Cade already knows his way around the ball park. On that day, the Rangers hosted the Baltimore Orioles in what was a 6-0 victory for the home squad, so perhaps Cunningham could bring some more good luck to the Texas organization.
On the surface, Cunningham’s acquisition of a portion of the Rangers can be chalked up as a savvy business move becoming of a young man in search of long-term financial stability, but the deal underpins a larger story about a 24-year old who is experiencing a full-circle moment while at the peak of his craft.
As a player, Cunningham is tabbed to be a starter in this year’s All-Star Game for the first time in his career. From a team perspective, Cunningham is the unquestioned leader on the Eastern Conference’s most dominant team. And now as a businessman, Cunningham used a portion of the five-year, up-to-$269 million contract extension that he signed last summer to become one of the owners of his hometown ball club.
During his time in the Motor City, Cunningham has represented himself as a breath of fresh air in a city that longed to embrace a humble-yet-confident superstar before his arrival. In countless interviews and charity events across the city, Cunningham has used his platform to give back to the Detroit community because he understands the value of philanthropy in these trying economic times. During the holidays, Cunningham held a Christmas toy drive for families in need, and he ingratiated himself as a leader who is determined to improve each room he walks into.
Now that Cunningham has a bit of influence within the Rangers’ organization, it will be interesting to see how Detroit’s All-Star leaves his imprint on the Texas baseball club from an owner’s role as opposed to influencing the team’s results first-hand on the court– or the diamond.
Moving forward, Cunningham is slated to participate in the All-Star Game over the weekend with his teammate, Jalen Duren, and coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, so this will go down as a week Cade will remember for a long time.
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