Cade Cunningham was the Detroit Pistons first overall pick in 2021 NBA draft. That is, of course, another way to say that the former product of the Oklahoma State Cowboys is a rich man. (He has already signed a multi-year contract with Nike.) Cunningham averaged 17.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.5 rebounds in 64 games in his rookie season. He finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting. Cunningham missed most of the 2022-23 season due to a stress fracture in his left leg. Detroit needs a player like him to lead the franchise out of its cycle of basketball mediocrity. But here’s another thing many people also need: details about Cade Cunningham’s girlfriend. That’s what you are here for, right?
Cade Cunningham’s girlfriend, Nikia Withers
Withers is an Instagram influencer with nearly 100,000 followers. She is the half-sister of Chicago Bears tight end Mercedes Lewis. She attended the University of Southern California where she played college volleyball and majored in law. Her ex-athlete boyfriends include Klay Thompson, D'Angelo Russell, and Cayleb Jones. She had a two-year stint after college coaching high school volleyball. Since 2020, she has been working a full-time job at Kanna Kingdom.
Her volleyball career isn't over yet, as she signed a professional volleyball contract with Athletes Unlimited in 2022.
Cade Cunningham's child
Whether Cade Cunningham has a girlfriend or not, what can be made sure of is the fact that at least during one point of his life, he’s had a relationship with somebody. How do we know? Well, Cunningham has a two-year-old daughter adorably named Riley.
Riley is Cunningham’s inspiration. You can feel how much she means to the 19-year-old Cunningham when he talked about her before the Cowboys’ trip to the Big Dance in 2021.
“She’s everything,” the 6-foot-8 freshman point guard said Tuesday on a conference call after being named to the Associated Press All-America First-Team. “I don’t know, she’s like a bundle of happiness in a 2-year-old body. It’s not enough words, really, that’s my daughter. She’s everything right now, she’s my motivation and all that.”
Riley was born when Cade Cunningham was still playing at Monteverde (FL) Academy under head coach Kevin Boyle, who also used to coach former NBA top draft picks, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons. Cunningham could have gone to Lexington to become part of the Kentucky Wildcats, but John Calipari was simply no match for Riley. Cunningham wanted to be closer to Riley, so with that in mind, he chose to attend college in Stillwater instead.
My 🌎 pic.twitter.com/LPgdaQ6nAD
— Cade Cunningham (@CadeCunningham_) August 4, 2020
Cade Cunningham's future
The Cowboys won the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament against the Liberty Flames but got busted in the second round by the Pac-12 champs, the Oregon State Beavers. In his last game in Oklahoma State uniform, Cunningham scored 24 points, with four rebounds, three assists, and five steals in 40 minutes of action. Did Cunningham’s girlfriend watch and cheer for him? It’s possible, but who could tell? Cunningham’s very secretive about his personal life.
As far as we know he wasn't linked with Nikia as he was going through the draft process with the Detroit Pistons. Now that he is a young NBA star, he has also found someone to share the journey with. It was important for him to have someone there for him as he rehabbed his injury last season. Nevertheless, that is all we know about Cade Cunningham's girlfriend, Nikia Withers.
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