Cade Cunningham drew rave reviews for his 52-point, 11-assist, zero-turnover outing in the Pistons‘ 144-140 win over the Wizards in overtime.
One day after he ripped Washington’s backcourt to shreds across 48 minutes of play time, Cunningham was the topic of discussion on a host of nationally-syndicated news programs, including “First Take.”
The 25-year-old guard was hailed for his historic display against Washington during the broadcast. In fact, he commanded quite the comparison from guest Kendrick Perkins, who felt compelled to compare the Oklahoma State product with two of basketball’s greatest-ever talents on Friday morning.
Here’s what you need to know.
Kendrick Perkins pays ultimate compliment to Cade Cunningham after 52-point outburst vs. Wizards
Perkins expressed doubt over Detroit’s ability to compete with the likes of the Celtics, Knicks and 76ers at the top of the Eastern Conference during a recent appearance on “First Take.” The former big explained that the Pistons’ toils in last year’s playoffs give him pause on crowning J.B. Bickerstaff’s side a real contender in 2026-27.
Those faults don’t lie with Cunningham, though, Perkins said. In fact, the veteran analyst paid the Pistons star the greatest — and perhaps most baffling — of compliments during his diatribe.
“Cade Cunningham is a top-10 player in the NBA,” Perkins said. “If Luka and LeBron James had a baby, you’ll get Cade Cunningham.
“He’s the closest thing to those guys when it comes to his size and being at that point guard position, or point-forward, that can get buckets, rebounds and assists.”
Kendrick Perkins says Cade Cunningham is Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined in one “If Luka [Dončić] and LeBron James had a baby, you’ll get Cade Cunningham.” (Via @FirstTake ) https://t.co/HeAbOfoDNW
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 13, 2026
Cunningham is a splendid talent who shares some similarities with Doncic and James. He plays at his own pace, slowing the game down and speeding it up in a manner similar to that of talents like Doncic and Thunder standout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His impact sprawls across the stat sheet, too; Cunningham is among the league leaders in both points and assists this season.
Still, it’s a bit of a stretch to say Cunningham, Doncic and James are exactly alike. Both Doncic and James are bigger and stronger than Cunningham. allowing them to operate in areas that Cunningham is less likely to wade in. The former is more of a scorer than Cunningham — his gaudy scoring averages prove as much — while the latter was, at his pinnacle, one of the greatest athletes the sport has ever seen.
Perkins’ assessment might have been a tad overzealous from a stylistic point of view. But it does offer a window into Cunningham’s glittering reputation among his peers, both past and present.
