Michigan State Legend Magic Johnson Applauds Cade Cunningham, Pistons

And then there's the Detroit Pistons, the franchise that has suffered the most despair of the four major Detroit sports in recent memory, which just won its first playoff game since 2008 on Sunday when it bested the New York Knicks in Game 2 of their first-round matchup.

The Pistons are led by rising star Cade Cunningham, a finalist for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award. Selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, Cunningham instilled hope back into the organization, and his presence has led to a drastic turnaround for a team that suffered its worst season in franchise history just last year.

Following Detroit's playoff win on Sunday, Michigan State legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to applaud Cunningham and the Pistons.

"Pistons guard Cade Cunningham showed America he’s a superstar in the making scoring 33 points tonight in their win over the New York Knicks!" Johnson wrote. "Dennis Schroeder scored 20 points and hit the biggest shot of the game to break the tie that helped the Pistons pull it out in the stretch 100-94. This Pistons vs. Knicks Series is great to watch!"

Johnson, of course, knows the Pistons very well, as his reign over the NBA in the 1980s was during the rise of Detroit's greatest era in franchise history. Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers faced his friend and rival, Isiah Thomas, and the "Bad Boys" in back-to-back NBA Finals, the Lakers winning the first matchup (Johnson's fifth and final ring) and the Pistons prevailing in the second to earn their first title in franchise history.

Cunningham and the Pistons will look to take the series lead in Game 3 when they face the Knicks at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday.

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