James made the comments after a 112-106 Philadelphia win in Detroit, a result that moved the Eastern Conference-leading Sixers to 8-1 and left Cunningham on the losing side despite a 26-point, 11-assist, seven-rebound night.
“I love the big guard, the big guard that can do multiple things,” James told reporters, in comments carried by MLive. “That’s why I love Luka as well. Always stated that Luka and Cade are two of my favorite players.”
The endorsement is not a passing one. James has been scouting Cunningham since the guard’s high-school years and followed him through his one college season at Oklahoma State, telling reporters he has “loved Cade for quite a while.”
Cunningham’s answer on the floor
Cunningham did everything but win the game. He finished with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and he had the ball in his hands for the final meaningful possession. Trailing by six with 37 seconds left, he pulled up for a three that would have cut the gap to a single possession. Jaylen Brown, who finished with a season-high 30 points, blocked it, according to the Associated Press recap.
Read also: Wout van Aert reveals unusual reason he failed to beat Alejandro Valverde’s Strava record
That near-miss was a measure of where Cunningham sits in the league. The former No. 1 overall pick finished fifth in MVP voting last season after averaging 23.9 points, 9.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds while leading Detroit to a 60-22 record.
Doncic’s name keeps coming up
James has been a Sixer since July, when he signed a two-year deal with Philadelphia and left the Lakers in free agency. Doncic stayed behind, and his name has been hard to avoid in the opening weeks.
The Slovenian is averaging 37.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists through nine games. His 308 points through the first eight made him the first player to top 300 in that span since Michael Jordan opened 1988-89 with 303, per NBA.com.
James also added 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in Detroit and passed 16,000 career made field goals during the game. After the final buzzer, he refused to project forward from an 8-1 start.
Read also: Tyrese Maxey delivers verdict on LeBron James and 76ers’ preseason ego concerns
“It’s too early to be talking about the Finals and things of that nature on Nov. 4,” he told reporters.
