While Detroit Pistons rising star Cade Cunningham wanted to win Rookie of the Year, he has no problem about Toronto Raptors youngster Scottie Barnes winning it.

The two were teammates at Montverde Academy in High School, and so Cunningham couldn't be any happier to see Barnes succeed. He also shared that his frequent declaration that he should win Rookie of the Year was not a knock to the other candidates, highlighting that it's only natural for competitive players like him to do so as they aspire to be better than the others.

“Scottie is my brother, I’m happy that he got that award. I feel like it’s great that it’s him, [my] Montverde teammate. I’m super excited [for him]. I mean, it’s never really been about that award for me” the Pistons guard said, per Slam.

“I’ve had a ton of questions asked about it, you know—Rookie of the Year, what do you think about you winning? So, I’ma answer the question, you know? I feel like I should win it. That’s natural. But it was never a knock on those guys. I love their game and I’m happy that now we can quiet that question down. Congrats to Scottie, man, I love my dog.”

Cade Cunningham certainly made a great case for Rookie of the Year, but his slow start to the season put him behind Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley in the race for the top rookie honors.

Clearly, though, the Pistons youngster is not making a big deal out of it. His first year was a learning experience for him, and by the looks of it, he'll be better ready for his sophomore year in 2022-23.