PARIS – Cade Cunningham is in great spirits.
For the first time in his young life, he is of enjoying the historic city of Paris where the Detroit Pistons will face the Chicago Bulls at Accor Arena on Thursday afternoon. He spent Tuesday morning with the team at the Eiffel Tower, which he is already calling “a cool memory.”
He is also in good spirits because he is completely pain free roughly one month after season-ending surgery to stabilize and promote the healing of a stress fracture in his left tibia.
Cunningham revealed that it had been bothering him since high school so to be pain free is truly a blessing.
I'm feeling great,” Cunningham said. “It’s coming along really well, a lot better than what I anticipated on it being. I'm happy about it, I'm happy I got it done. I’m happy it's behind me now and I can just move forward and get on the road to getting back.”
Cunningham, an All-Rookie team selection last season, was averaging nearly 20 points per game to go along with 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 12 games. But his last appearance this season came Nov. 9 in a loss at Boston. Cunningham took his time in deciding the best course of action since the procedure would be the first major surgery he had experienced.
“I didn't know how to go about it,” Cunningham said. “I trusted my legs; God gave me these legs. I was nervous about it, but just over the past few weeks where I've been able to see the progression in my knee and how everything's been healing up, I don't regret it at all.”
He consulted with other players who had the surgery previously, which includes current Pistons teammate Rodney McGruder. Former Michigan standout and current Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway was also another major influence.
“I'm glad that everybody kind of talked me through it and helped me out with that process because it was new for me and I didn't know what to do,” Cunningham said.