Cade Cunningham gifts autographed jersey to Jeff Teague as former player-turned-podcaster prompts Pistons star to talk MVP

Cade Cunningham showed off his jersey worn by former NBA player Jeff Teague at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. Teague was given the jersey after the game, after being asked to include the Pistons star in MVP talks.

A clip of Teague receiving the jersey from Cunningham was shared on X (formerly Twitter).

“Cade Cunningham gives his jersey to @club520podcast. Jeff Teague recently said Cade Cunningham should be talked about more in the MVP conversation with Shai and Jokic,” the caption read.

Teague supported Cunningham’s MVP nomination while discussing the award during an episode of his podcast on Tuesday.

“He’s the front-runner for MVP,” Teague said. “Because his team doesn’t have another star. Everyone has legitimate stars on their team. He’s the only star.”

Teague continued to stress about Cunningham, revealing how the other MVP candidates have real stars on their side.

“Jalen Williams, all-around defense, all-NBA — Shay, Shit. LeBron, Luka, Austin Reeves, everyone got considerations,” Teague continued. “He’s the only star and they’ve had five losses.”

Cunningham quickly became one of the best players in the Eastern Conference as the Detroit Pistons continued to impress. The team started the season with a great run and is on top of the East with a 22-6 record.

After tying a franchise record with 13 straight wins, the Pistons continued their dominance in the East with another emphatic performance on Saturday, earning a 112-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

Cunningham played a key role again, finishing with a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists. Averaging 27.2 ppg, which ranks 11th in the league, along with 9.2 assists, which is second best overall, he continues to strengthen his case in the MVP race.

Jeff Teague apologizes to Detroit fans for snubbing Cade Cunningham in the MVP race

The Detroit Pistons have been the best team in the East this season and lead the conference by 2.5. Their positive run has coincided with the performance of Cade Cunningham as the goalkeeper continues to take his game to new heights.

On Tuesday, former All-Star Jeff Teague apologized to Pistons fans for overlooking Cunningham in the MVP race while making a case for the guard.

“I want to say I apologize to the Detroit fans,” Teague said. “Because I’ve been a Detroit fan since last year, I was the first one to jump on the bandwagon. But I said he’s out of the MVP conversation and that’s a lie. He’s a front-runner for MVP.”

As the Pistons continue to advance behind Cunningham, the guard has put himself in legitimate contention as the best player, especially with Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander facing tougher competition in the Western Conference.