Jalen Green's father reveals old rivalry with Cade Cunningham dating back years

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green were drafted first and second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, indirectly tying their careers together as they navigated through their first four seasons in the league. After a rocky couple of seasons, both are putting together their best years so far and are in All-Star conversation. According to Green's father, however, the two have another connection that feeds into their competition.

Enoch Green, Jalen's father, has seen the two young stars compete against each other for years, from AAU ball to the NBA. Whenever the Pistons and Rockets play, the two take the opportunity to go at each other and prove who is better between them. It's been that way for years.

After Monday's game between the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, which saw Cunningham and Co. walk away with an 11-point win, Enoch Green spoke with reporters in Houston about how far back Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham's rivalry goes.

"It goes all the way back to the summers before high school,” Enoch Green told reporters. "Between eighth and ninth grade, when they really started playing AAU ball, they started locking in. That’s how far it goes back.”

While Cunningham and Jalen Green didn't follow the same path to the NBA, they met one another in AAU matchups and Team USA activities as they made their way into the league. Cade went to college at Oklahoma State University while Jalen Green chose to join the G League Ignite, but their talent has always been close to equal, leading to the intensity in their matchups.

Has Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham's competitive energy helped unlock their teams?

Since Jalen Green and Cade Cunningham joined their teams, they have struggled to find their way into postseason play until this season. Green has the Rockets solidly in the Western Conference playoff picture at 28-14, holding a half-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies for the second seed. Green is averaging a team-high 21.5 points per game, leading the team alongside Alperen Şengün.

The Detroit Pistons, on the other hand, are struggling more in the East, fighting for a play-in spot at 22-21. They are one winning streak away from finding themselves within the top six, though, trailing the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers by only two games. Cunningham has put together an All-Star-worthy campaign so far, averaging 24.5 points and 9.3 assists per contest, leading the team in both.