Jalen Rose places Cade Cunningham on GOAT list after Game 5 masterpiece
After leading the Pistons to a Game 5 victory with 45 points, Jalen Rose declared that Cade Cunningham has officially entered the NBA's GOAT list.
Detroit — Cade Cunningham put on one of the greatest playoff performances in franchise history Wednesday night. He led the Detroit Pistons to a 116-109 Game 5 win over the Orlando Magic inside Little Caesars Arena . He scored a franchise playoff-record 45 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 on 3-point shooting.
His historic performance helped the Pistons stave off elimination and force Game 6 on Friday night at Kia Center, and drew high praise from, among others, Detroit native and Fab Fiver Jalen Rose. After the game, the Michigan alumnus took to X to declare that Cunningham has officially etched his name in the NBA's GOAT list. Rose posted, "For us Detroit fans tonight….
All-time GOAT list is MJ (Michael Jordan), Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Cade……. " For us Detroit fans tonight…. All time GOAT list is MJ, Kareem, Cade…… — Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) April 30, 2026 Naming Cunningham as the third-best player in NBA history illustrated Rose's excitement after the Game 5 victory.
However, it was also an indication of how Rose's mood in the series has shifted, giving him renewed hope the Pistons could complete the comeback from a 3-1 deficit. More: Wojo: Cade Cunningham puts on spectacular show, rescues Pistons for now After the Pistons lost Game 4 to the Magic 113-105 on Saturday, Rose expressed on ESPN's Inside the NBA that he felt like crying over Detroit's inadequate performance at the beginning of the best-of-seven first-round series. To hold off the Magic, the Pistons needed each one of Cunningham's 45 points.