Cade Cunningham grew up fast when he became a dad during his senior year of high school in 2018.
The 24-year-old has made a huge name for himself as a point guard for the Detroit Pistons, and his biggest "motivation" to succeed on and off the court is his six-year-old daughter, Riley.
The NBA star is one "proud" dad and often shares photos on Instagram of his little girl supporting him at his games.
Before he was drafted in 2021, Cade had nothing but sweet words for his then-two-year-old ahead of the NCAA Tournament with the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
© Instagram"She's everything," the 6'6 freshman point guard told Forbes at the time. "I don't know, she's like a bundle of happiness in a two-year-old body."
He added: "It's not enough words, really, that's my daughter. She's everything right now, she's my motivation and all that."
Riley Cunningham
© InstagramRiley was born on December 29, 2018, when her dad was a senior playing for legendary coach Kevin Boyle at Montverde Academy in Florida.
Cade was in Florida when Riley was born, but his hometown is Arlington, Texas, where he attended Bowie High School for his first two years before transferring to Montverde Academy.
When Cade was choosing which college to attend in 2019, he picked Oklahoma State over Kentucky, in part to be closer to his daughter.
© Instagram"I was away at Montverde when she was born and everything like that, so finally being able to be a little bit closer definitely helped," he said at the time of his decision.
"I mean, regardless, I know my parents would've did whatever it took to close that gap for me, but yeah, being a four-hour drive away isn't too bad for sure."
He added: "It definitely isn't too bad, and I've been super lucky to be able to have her be at a bunch of games and things like that."
Riley's mom
© InstagramThere is no public information about Riley's mother, but the soon-to-be seven-year-old splits her time living in Arlington with her mom and Cade's family.
"He loves her so fully," Cade's mom, Carrie Cunningham, previously told The Oklahoman. "He wants the best for her in life. To be as young as he is, it's pretty amazing."
Team player
© InstagramNot only did Riley attend several of her dad's home and away games while at college, but she became a much-loved member of the Cowboys, too.
"Riley's a big part of his story because obviously having that element in his life brings a different level of urgency and responsibility, and I think he's been tremendous," Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton told Forbes.
© Instagram"I think he appreciated that he didn't have to hide from it while here. He was embraced and supported, and we enjoyed when she has been around, the few times that she has," he continued.
"And certainly, his mom started all this. I have an unbelievable relationship with her and Cannen," Mike added, referring to Cade's older brother, who was hired as an assistant on Mike's staff in June 2019.
