DETROIT – May 18, 2022 – Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham was named to the 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced tonight. Cunningham received Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 100 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He is the 13th Pistons player to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and fourth since 1995, joining Grant Hill (1995), Brandon Knight (2012) and Saddiq Bey (2021).
The first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cunningham averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 32.6 minutes over 64 games (all starts). Among all NBA rookies this season, he ranked first in scoring, second in assists, tied for third in steals and tied for fifth in rebounds. Cunningham became the 10th player in NBA history to average at least 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in a rookie campaign.
Named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for January, Cunningham became the sixth Pistons rookie to ever win the monthly award. In March, he joined Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only rookies in NBA history to average minimums of 22 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a single month. His totals in points (1,114), rebounds (354) and assists (356) put him in the company of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Alvan Adams and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with minimums of 1,100 points, 350 rebounds and 350 assists through 64 career games.
The Oklahoma State product became the first Pistons rookie to record multiple triple-doubles in a season and recorded the most points by a first-year Piston since 1994-95 (Grant Hill) and assists since 1993-94 (Lindsey Hunter). Cunningham earned Clorox Rising Star MVP honors at All-Star Weekend after leading Team Barry to the title and finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting.
The Arlington, Texas native is the 21st Pistons player to be selected to either all-rookie team and is the third in the last two seasons (Saddiq Bey – First Team in 2021, Isaiah Stewart – Second Team in 2021). He was one of three NBA rookies to be unanimously voted to the first team this season (Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley).