It’s an exciting time for basketball in the city of Detroit — and Pistons star Cade Cunningham is thrilled to share that with his seven-year-old daughter, Riley.
In addition to the Pistons tipping off their season on Tuesday, October 20, the WNBA is returning to the Motor City with a new franchise in 2029.
“It’s amazing, man,” Cunningham, 25, exclusively told Us in partnership with the new Daiya Cheesecake Bites. “In my opinion, basketball is the most beautiful game. I love watching women’s basketball because it’s different from men’s basketball. There’s a different way of going about things. It’s a different speed. It’s just a different game, so I enjoy that.”
The All-Star added, “I have a daughter, so it’s super inspiring to see the way that their game has grown so much and how much respect it’s starting to get now. I think it’s an amazing thing. Detroit is a sports city that needs a team.”
Cunningham has kept the identity of Riley’s mother private and mostly keeps the relationship with his daughter out of the public eye, but he explained that he’s always happy to spend time with her in the midst of a hectic NBA schedule.
“I’m a pretty lowkey guy in general,” he said. “Even if I wasn’t doing what I do now, I would probably go do my work, go home and want to kick it with the fam. That’s kind of how I do it now. Having a physically-taxing job, it’s easy for me to relax, kick my feet up and recover for the next day.”
Since being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Pistons in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cunningham has grown an appreciation for the knowledge of Detroit sports fans.
“They’re smart,” he told Us. “They know what’s going on with the game, which is impressive. There’s a ton of cities that really support their team or whatever, they’ll get loud for the team. But there’s a difference in what they get loud for, you know? I enjoy that. I enjoy what fires up Detroit fans. It usually has to do with some hard-working play, the nasty stuff that people don’t want to do. They don’t just like the dunks and the threes.”
Cunningham continued, “In the locker room, we command the things that the city of Detroit commands.”
Away from the court, Cunningham — who has followed a dairy-free lifestyle for years — has linked up with Daiya and their new poppable Cheesecake Bites, which are a treat for everybody regardless of diet.
“Trying to stay from dairy as best you can, it’s hard to find desserts in that space,” Cunningham explained. “It really aligned in that way and I think they make a great product.”
Daiya Cheesecake Bites come in Original, Strawberry and Chocolate — each featuring a rich, creamy cheesecake center wrapped in a decadent dark chocolatey coating.
The frozen treats are available now at Sprouts Farmers Market, Meijer, and Kroger nationwide.
