SACRAMENTO – About 66 days on average. This is how long it takes for a behavior to become a habit, says author James Clear in his book “Atomic Habits.”

That’s about the length of the Detroit Pistons’ historic losing streak a season ago. Their streak began on October 30, 2023. After losing an NBA-record 28 straight games and drawing the nation’s pity, the Pistons finally got a win on December 30. That’s 60 days of defeat, plenty of time to develop the kind of bad habits that could sabotage a career.

But for Cade Cunningham, being the face of a team known for its losing streak has the opposite effect.

“The losing streak has almost made me more confident – as backwards as that sounds,” Cunningham said, sitting in his blue Pistons practice shorts on the purple baseline at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento – hours before a 114-113, victory over the Kings after a deficit – while we remember the losing streak. “I pushed myself to the limit so many times during this series that I realized I was made for this.

“I knew that once I got the upper hand, I would silence all that hate.”

Cunningham’s worst times as a pro came during Detroit’s historic skid, but each loss inspired more confidence. Each final buzzer was cause for pessimism, but for Cunningham it sparked optimism. It was the lows from back then that helped produce today’s highs.

His refusal to be defined by repeated failure fueled the drive to finally end last season’s losing streak, 14 of those losses coming at Little Caesars Arena. It was crucial to the belief he instilled in a Pistons team that has already matched last season’s win total – in 51 fewer games.

He considers it an unshakable trust. To others it may seem like a deception, but it got him to this point.

With Detroit (14-17) currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference and Cunningham in no doubt, meaningful spring basketball is possible for the first time since the 2018-19 season, when he was a junior at Montverde Academy. And now the 23-year-old face of the franchise has never been more ready for the challenge.

The habits he developed were productive, not destructive. His mentality was strengthened, not broken. His childhood dreams became reality, not erased.

“I always wanted to be in the NBA and never saw myself not being a star,” Cunningham said. “I wanted to be a star. I’m on the right path and I just need to keep growing, keep improving and keep learning.”

Last December, Cunningham’s eyebrows were tense as he bit his lip with a puzzled expression. Kristaps Porziņģis had just hit his second free throw to put the Boston Celtics ahead by eight points. The Pistons once held a 19-point lead at halftime. It seemed like their unwanted time in the NBA spotlight was coming to an end and a 27-game losing streak was coming to an end in Boston.

But it didn’t die. Detroit gave it all back and ultimately lost in overtime.

“It hurt to lose the game,” Cunningham said. “I think just the show in general… a lot of long car rides home, a lot of quiet plane rides.

“This is depressing. Every day when you walk into the building, everyone has this dark cloud over their head. It was hard to endure, but it’s good to be on the other side.”

Cunningham finds refuge in fatherhood. The Pistons had their hearts broken on December 28, 2023 in Boston. The following day his daughter Riley turned 5 years old. The next day, Cunningham scored 30 points and 12 assists in a win over the Toronto Raptors, ending the streak.

“That’s my motivation: my daughter and my family in general,” Cunningham said The athlete. “To enable them to build an empire.”

Cunningham’s unwavering belief in himself breathes life into the future of not only his daughter, but his entire line. His faith is a recurring theme, just as it was when a Hobbs meter measured time while he sat silently at a height of about 35,00 feet. Cunningham never backed down.

Last season, a Pistons trip to Phoenix in mid-February ended in a 16-point loss. Cunningham finished the game with eight assists, four rebounds, five turnovers and just 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting in 26 minutes of play. That season in Phoenix, Cunningham finished with 28 points on 9 of 19 shooting and had 13 assists on four turnovers in a win over the Suns – including a signature 3-ball over Kevin Durant that iced the game.

Cunningham is on track for his best professional season, averaging career highs in points (24.2), assists (9.7), rebounds (6.9), 3-point percentage (37.3) and 3-pointers made. Try (6,6). With his six triple-doubles, only Nikola Jokić (11) and LeBron James (eight) are tied for the NBA lead.

“I made some plays this year that I haven’t seen myself in a long time,” Cunningham said. “I watch a whole game and think, ‘I really took a chance on that game.’ I think for me it’s just the constant growth. I don’t really put a limit on what I can be. I just want to continue to get better.”

Cunningham was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time in his career the week of December 16, averaging 27 points (49.2 percent shooting and 40.9 percent from 3), 12.7 assists , 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and one steal in 39 minutes during a three-game span. In addition to becoming the first Piston to win Player of the Week since Saddiq Bey in February 2021, he also led Detroit to victories over the Miami Heat and Suns.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week for Week 9 of the 2024-25 season (December 16-22). pic.twitter.com/SMZeaIlUQe

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 23, 2024

It also helped that, like Cunningham, he had a healthy offseason and did not undergo any rehab.

“It’s a blessing. It’s everything I wanted,” he said with a smile. “This offseason was a big offseason for me to stay healthy and really put in the work all the time. It was a huge offseason.

“It’s just good that we win and I help my team. This is what I wanted to do most.”

In “Atomic Habits,” Clear describes how to get one percent better every day. No matter how embarrassing the lopsided losses were, no matter how much the Pistons may have felt like the laughing stock of the league in 2023, Cunningham has found ways to improve by one percent every day.

Now he’s on the verge of becoming a young star, and he’s putting Detroit on the brink of contention for the first time since he joined the organization.

(Photo: Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)