J.B. Bickerstaff fires back at comments about Cade Cunningham needing to leave Pistons

JB Bickerstaff commented on Gilbert Arenas’ statement that Cade Cunningham should leave the Pistons for a “big city”. J.B. Bickerstaff, the Detroit Pistons’ head coach, continues to make an impression in his first season with the team. A viral clip from the Players Choice Podcast surfaced in which former Washington Wizards great Gilbert Arenas analyzed point guard Cade Cunningham’s performance against the New York Knicks. Arenas called Cunningham’s game a “big city game” that deserved more attention outside of Detroit with the Pistons. Bickerstaff defended his squad during the pregame media session before the game against the Indiana Pacers.

“I’d simply disagree. Kevin Durant was pretty excellent in Oklahoma City, and Tim Duncan was pretty good in San Antonio. Basketball now travels,” Bickerstaff stated. Previously, being located in New York, Los Angeles, or Boston was necessary for marketability. But Detroit has won championships with a specific style of play.

Cunningham’s breakout season has been one of the most notable highlights of the 2024-25 NBA season. The 6’7 point guard is posting career-high statistics across the board, which has resulted in a significant improvement for the Pistons. After ending 14-68 last season, Detroit has emerged as one of the league’s biggest surprises, with a 21-19 record that places them sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Bickerstaff continued to discuss how athletes had built successful careers outside of major cities. He even mentioned former Pistons who went on to establish a name for themselves.

“You’d be hard pressed to tell me that Chauncey Billups, Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton….I could go on and on about those guys not needing to be somewhere else to get the job done,” Bickerstaff began. “I don’t agree with it and I think there’s a lot of facts behind it.” Cunningham ranked seventh in the All-Star voting.
The campaign to make the Pistons’ franchise player an All-Star continues to gain traction. Cunningham is presently ranked eighth among Eastern Conference guards in the most recent 2025 NBA voting results.

The All-Star Game He has collected 582,617 votes from fans, NBA media, and players since voting began. Cunningham is trailing LaMelo Ball (1,908,967), Donovan Mitchell (1,554,204), Damian Lillard (1,270,187), Jalen Brunson (1,243,385), Trae Young (705,936), and Tyrese Maxey (611,869). The fan voting on NBA.com ends next Monday at 11:59 p.m. EST. Bickerstaff provided one more argument for why Cunningham deserves further consideration.

“You need to paint a whole picture of Cade. I believe that when you see guys have amazing seasons, they often do an excellent job of having a fantastic season individually. If you look at this squad, Cade is having a terrific season, but he’s also inspiring those around him to have a great season,” Bickerstaff said. “He didn’t have to take from anyone else, and instead poured into everyone else. So, in addition to having his own number and career years, he’s also assisting other players, getting better personally, and being the glue that’s helped a team improve.” “The numbers speak for themselves.” We ranked him among the finest perimeter players on other teams due to his ability to play both ways. We beg him to bear that burden. He has a defensive impact on the game, rebounds the ball, assists, and scores, and is an amazing human being. If you want to personify someone, and this league wants to spotlight those types of people, Cade is the man.”