Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty
DETROIT, July 29, 2021 ~ Thursday, the Detroit Pistons selected Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, along with Isaiah Livers and Luka Garza in the second round.
“This was a very exciting night for our franchise, our fans and the city,” said Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores. “We made great progress adding four talented young men. They are all high-character individuals that fit the culture and championship mentality we are creating.”
Cunningham is Detroit’s highest draft pick since 1970, marking the third No. 1 selection in team history.
“I had the opportunity to spend time with Cade before the draft,” continued Gores. “I could tell immediately that he’s not just an elite prospect, he’s an elite leader who will take our franchise to another level.”
July 30, 2021 ~ Pistons Beat Writer Rod Beard talks with Kevin Dietz about the Detroit Pistons drafting Cade Cunningham in the 2021 NBA Draft.
July 29, 2021 ~ Pistons Beat Writer for the Detroit News Rod Beard talks with Chris Renwick before the NBA Draft about the Pistons\’ plan to select Cade Cunningham with the 1st pick.
Cunningham is only the fourth player in Big 12 history to be named both the Big 12 Player, and Freshman of the Year.
Livers earned fifth place in the Big Ten for 3-pointers made per game (2.2), and led the University of Michigan with 50 3-pointers made. He was also a semifinalist for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award, the highest award for Division I senior student athletes that honors excellence on and off the court.
Garza earned unanimous 2020-21 National Player of the Year honors as a senior at Iowa. He led the nation in points (747) and field goals made (281). Garza earned two unanimous All-America First Team selections, as well as two Big Ten Player of the Year awards while becoming Iowa’s all-time leading scorer (2,306), marking the seventh-highest scoring total in Big Ten history.
“I want to congratulate Troy and our team in the front office,” said Gores. “They did an outstanding job preparing for the draft. They have done an incredible job over the past year establishing and restoring our culture. I’m also excited for Dwane [Casey] and his coaching staff to build on the momentum of growth and development that has been established.”
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