On Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Detroit Pistons in a good litmus test for the East. Throughout the season, the Cavs have played below expectations, although they are turning over a new leaf since James Harden arrived via trade. And the Cavs, despite being without Donovan Mitchell for the night, overcame the Pistons and won 113–109 at home.

Halfway through the game, Cade Cunningham and former teammate Dennis Schroder had an interesting conversation. This piston looks like a star haven’t kept in touch much That’s even with Schröder after the two battled together in the postseason last year, and the German floor general told Cunningham how he felt about it.

“Don’t talk to me anymore. I tried to call you and you’re not answering the phone,” Schroder said via the official ClutchPoints account on X (formerly Twitter). “You got MVP mantras and now you’re not answering the phone, huh? Still I got you.”

“You got MVP mantras and now you’re not answering the phone, huh? Still I got you.”

Dennis Schroder to Cade Cunningham 😅
pic.twitter.com/ZzoETrATEm

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 4 March 2026

This could just be a joke between two former teammates. Schroder changes teams so often that it becomes difficult to keep track of where he is and what he’s doing, and perhaps Cunningham is the kind of person who isn’t very active in keeping in touch via social media.

However, it was Schroder who got the last laugh that night.

Dennis Schroder, Cavs get last laugh on Cade Cunningham, Pistons

The Pistons decided not to bring Schroder back after he played a key role in their playoff run last year, which ended with a loss to the New York Knicks after six games. But now that Schroder is back with a competitive team in the Cavs, he has a chance to get revenge on the team that let him go last year.

And on the night, Schroder at least got a return to action on the Pistons, and it could be a preview of a potential second-round matchup in the East.

Kevin Durant’s recent comments regarding the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and the differences between USA Basketball and European basketball have sparked a huge debate. Durant previously claimed that the criticism against the AAU was a veiled attack on the notion that “black Americans” control the game, and that there was no real reason for the criticism other than arising from racist tendencies.

However, Stephen A. Speaking to Smith, Jay Williams launched a passionate tirade against Durant’s comments, claiming that they represent a racist, victim mentality, according to a post on Ax by ClutchPoints.

“The first argument was about AAU basketball, which is a completely different argument than the Black American thing. I think anytime you bring up race like that, it hijacks the conversation and takes it away from the starting point. It felt a little bit like a racist, victim mentality and it concerned me a little bit because I think criticizing a development system is not a criticism of a race. And we’re talking about development systems for Americans,” he said before mentioning several legends. Who have also talked about the differences between the European approach compared to the United States approach.

“It felt a little bit like a racist, victim mentality… because I think criticizing a development system is not criticizing a race. And we’re talking about development systems for Americans.”

Jay Williams on Kevin Durant’s USA Basketball take.pic.twitter.com/BayDVNIraK

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 26 February 2026

For example, Kobe Bryant previously claimed that in the United States, players are initially taught athleticism, with European schools prioritizing basketball IQ and skill. Bryant did not conclude that the European method was correct and was merely speaking on the differences between the two schools.

Williams said, “The thing that really bothered me about the comment is that we’ve heard American players talk about it for a long time. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, 2015 Kobe Bryant literally said that European players are taught to play the right way.”

The logic is simple. Williams believes that the criticism, or differences, between the two schools do indeed exist, and that the former players’ argument has never been about proving that the European method works better. Instead, when Durant suggested that the criticism was simply a result of racist tendencies, he was removing the real logic behind the argument.

Williams explained, “He never said European players were better… I felt like when KD said things like that, it seemed a little careless… Black history should never be reduced to a month, it should be American history.”

While KD, undoubtedly a serial winner, may have actually jumped the gun by bringing racism-related discourse into the argument, Williams is merely pointing out that the difference between the two schools of basketball is there for all to see.