"He's doing sh*t that's like, 'I'm here'" - Carmelo Anthony sings praises for $13,940,809 NBA star's evolution to a leader amid initial struggle

Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony had nothing but praise for Cade Cunningham, a young NBA star, following his breakout season. Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons has turned his career around, leading the once-worst team in the league into a potential playoff contender.

On the latest episode of the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Anthony discussed Cunningham's jump from prospect to All-Star with The Kid Mero, Rudy Gay and Kazeem Famuyide. The legendary scorer is happy that the Oklahoma State product has finally figured things out.

"He's starting to find his pace, find his flow, find his speed, his confidence," Anthony said (2:00). "He's shooting the ball, like he's doing sh*t that's like, 'I'm here. I'm letting you n***as know I'm here.' As a result, they're winning."

Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that Cade Cunningham went through some difficult period in his first three seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Cunningham had a rough start as a rookie due to a lingering ankle injury. His sophomore season was cut short with a shin injury, limiting him to just 12 games.

Last season was probably the roughest one, as the Pistons recorded just 14 wins, the worst in franchise history. They also lost 28 straight games, the worst losing streak the NBA has ever seen.

Fast forward to the offseason, the Pistons committed to Cunningham by signing him to a five-year, $224,238,150, extension. He's earning $13,940,809 this season in the final year of his rookie contract, a bargain for what he's doing for the franchise.

The 23-year-old star is averaging 25.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game. The Pistons have a 34-27 record and are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

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Carmelo Anthony explains why some recent lottery picks don't pan out in NBA

Carmelo Anthony explains why some recent lottery picks don't pan out in NBA. (Photo: IMAGN)

Nabbing the first overall pick in the NBA draft or even just a lottery pick doesn't ensure that the player is going to pan out.

Carmelo Anthony, who was the No. 3 selection in the famed 2003 draft, explained on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast in January why some prospects fail in the league and why it takes them more than two seasons to figure things out.

"A lot of the high draft picks that get drafted high, go to these not-so-good teams,' Anthony said, according to the Basketball Network.

"So you're bringing what they think you can bring. There's no room for development for you unless you have to sit down because you have to pick up the pace. Now, your development has slowed down because you're not playing as much, and you're not getting the game minutes and reps, that sh*t adds up. That's why you don't see them until year three, four or sometimes year five."

Anthony was fantastic from the get-go, leading the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs as a rookie. However, recent players, like Cade Cunnigham, took a few more years to break out.