2021 National Treasures Cade Cunningham ROOKIE PATCH AUTO /99 #123 PSA 10 GEM

When Sports Illustrated featured Cade Cunningham on its cover, they titled the story: “The Next Big Thing.” The article suggested that the usual metrics did not necessarily reflect the magnitude of Cade’s talent. Instead of verticality, lateral quickness, or dribbling speed, scouts reflected on Cade’s mental understanding of the game: “Cunningham’s impact is hard to describe unless you’re actually there watching him,” said one scout. “And then it’s like: Oh yeah, I get it.” One of the very aspects of Cade’s appeal amounts to him being somewhat of a unicorn when it comes to position. In his rookie season, the 6-6 Texas native mostly played point guard, but as scouts observed: “Cunningham’s a modern wing player: He has a good feel, a quick mind, can score on his own and involve other players at the same time.” In some respects, Cade might be considered positionless, yet with his elite talent, the team benefits from him handling the ball and making decisions. In that light, another scout commented, “It's not always flashy. He sees the whole floor, and the ball goes to the right place pretty much all the time.” Cade’s impact defies measurables, resting more on intangibles that can be challenging to define. Cade’s combined his outstanding measurables with those intangibles to put together the finest season of his career thus far, earning a maiden All-Star Game selection and elevating the Detroit Pistons to relevance for the first time since their most recent playoff appearance in 2019. The team is on pace to win its most games since the ‘07-’08 season, and Cade is in contention to take home Most Improved Player honors this year. With Cunningham living up to his No. 1 overall pick status, interest in cards such as this 2021 National Treasures RPA has started to rise alongside him. This is one of only three examples of this card to earn a PSA 10 grade. The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 03/04/2025.