Cade Cunningham wears Caitlin Clark shoes in Pistons’ season-opening win
The Detroit guard wore the ‘Ice Cold’ Nike Caitlin 1 colorway against Boston and scored 22 points as the Pistons won 121-113.
Cade Cunningham wore Caitlin Clark’s ‘Ice Cold’ Nike Caitlin 1 shoes in the Detroit Pistons’ October 20 season opener against the Boston Celtics. Detroit won 121-113, and Cunningham scored 22 points with eight assists. Hawkeyes Wire and HITC reported his choice of shoes; TalkBasket separately reported the result and his scoring line.
Hawkeyes Wire reported that Cunningham was the first NBA player to wear Clark’s signature shoes in a regular-season game. He had worn the ‘Caitlin Blue’ and ‘Midnight Fever’ colorways during the preseason, making the opener his first reported regular-season appearance in the Caitlin 1.
Cunningham’s numbers in Detroit’s comeback
Cunningham tied for Detroit’s team lead with 22 points, shooting 8-for-18 from the field and making all five of his free throws, according to Hawkeyes Wire. In 35 minutes, he added four rebounds, one steal and one block to his eight assists. Jalen Duren also scored 22 points and collected nine rebounds, TalkBasket reported.
Boston led 72-50 early in the third quarter after Paul George made three three-pointers in less than a minute, according to TalkBasket. Detroit cut the deficit to six points by the end of the quarter and moved ahead in the fourth. Javonte Green hit a go-ahead three-pointer; Duren followed with a three-point play, and Duncan Robinson made another three as the Pistons built a 107-99 lead with 5:10 remaining.
Green finished with 19 points after sitting out the first half, while Robinson scored 21, TalkBasket reported. Ausar Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds. The comeback gave Detroit a win in its first game of the NBA season, with Cunningham contributing to both its scoring and playmaking.
The ‘Ice Cold’ Caitlin 1 on court
HITC identified the pair as the ‘Ice Cold’ colorway and cited an October 20 post by Sole Retriever showing Cunningham in the shoes. The outlet reported positive fan reactions, including comments that framed the choice as support for Clark. Cunningham’s reason for wearing them was not established in either account.
HITC reported that Cunningham signed a new Nike deal in November 2025 and is expected to receive his own shoe line in the second half of the 2026-27 season. For now, his appearance in Clark’s shoes links two Nike signature athletes through an on-court choice visible during Detroit’s opening win.
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Sources and context
- Pistons' Cade Cunningham opens NBA season in Caitlin Clark shoesHawkeyes Wire / USA TODAY Network, republished by Yahoo Sports
- NBA fans love how Cade Cunningham showed support to Caitlin Clark during Pistons’ season openerHITC
- Pistons rally past Celtics 121-113 to open NBA season - TalkBasket.netTalkBasket.net
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.