Imago
Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks on during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Imago
Mar 17, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) looks on during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Hearing the words ‘collapsed lung’ can never be pleasant. For Cade Cunningham, that diagnosis had an unfathomable impact than the Pistons organization or Detroit fans can only sympathize. It was far out of the realm of a standard sports injury and nothing he was prepared for. For nearly three weeks, the Pistons fanbase has held its breath alongside the franchise star. On Wednesday night, Cade Cunningham finally exhaled. He marked his return to the floor for the first time since the near season-ending setback with a heartfelt admission about it.
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As if he never left, the 24-year-old played an extensive 26 minutes, recorded 13 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, and a steal and block, looking every bit the All-NBA candidate in the Detroit Pistons’ 137–111 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks. Isaiah Stewart also returned after missing 13 games with a left calf strain. Spectacular as his comeback was, his his post-game comments revealed a harrowing journey from a hospital bed to the hardwood.
“It was different than any injury I’ve ever had as far as how it progressed initially,” Cunningham admitted following his double-double. The injury, which occurred during a March 17 game against the Washington Wizards, understandably scared the young guard. “I was kind of beat up. I was panicking a lot, you know, just with what I was feeling and stuff. So, you know, they [the medical staff] helped get me comfortable and helped me get through that.”
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A sign of things looking up was when Cunningham was spotted at the Pistons practice facility a few days after the diagnosis. He wasn’t able to scrimmage with the team yet but he worked with the trainers to manage his condition.
Cade Cunningham on his time away:
“It was different than any injury I’ve ever had as far as how it progressed initially. From whenever I got hit to how I felt immediately to how I started to feel as time went on. Thanks to all the staff and medical that was around and helped.” pic.twitter.com/1B5eBBNbGD
— Hunter Patterson (@HunterPatterson) April 9, 2026
The recovery process had its own challenges. Notably it required Cunningham to do the one thing professional athletes find most difficult: nothing. “Once I got to the house, just a lot of resting. Couldn’t get my heart rate up, which was boring,” he says and he gets to joke about it.
Due to the nature of the lung injury, maintaining a low heart rate was a medical necessity. The fear of it aggravating was something all of Detroit felt. but Cunningham found a cool way to cope with that anxiety.
Silver lining for Pistons in Cade Cunningham’s setback
With nothing to do and a serious condition, there’s a lot of room for anxiety to take over. But Cade Cunningham was surrounded by a support system that also included his team. While he couldn’t participate, watching them hard at work kept his spirits up.
Almost too much at times. “My heart rate went up a few times watching the team, which was, you know…” We’d rather not, but… “It was fun. It was fun to be able to watch from a different perspective like that. I think I learned a lot and, you know, watching the team grow the way they did, handle business the way they did, was a lot of fun.”
The team indeed gave him a display. While most were disheartened after Cunningham’s MVP campaign was cut short at 61 games, his teammates kept them as the top seed in the East and definitive title contenders. In his absence, Daniss Jenkins had the opportunity to shine while also taking the load off Jalen Duren. Even without their playmaker, his presence in the practices alone gave them an adrenaline boost to keep that momentum going.
Everything led up to the most epic return. Cunningham’s return couldn’t have been more scripted. Playing in short spurts to manage his conditioning, he hit 6-of-11 shots and facilitated the offensive flow with precision that helped Detroit build a massive 75–57 halftime lead. Although some feared the team might lose the rhythm it built without Cade and Stewart, none of that was visible.
They’re closer to a personal best in two decades. At a staggering 58–22 record, the Pistons are within striking distance of their first 60-win season since 2006.
If he participates in the final two games in Charlotte and Indiana, Cunningham will be at 64 games, still short of salvaging his MVP candidacy. But after a diagnosis like that, he’s not thinking about individual honors. “I’ve had a great ramp up to where I am today,” he concluded. “I’m just happy and feel blessed to be back.”
The Pistons are now targeting the health of the roster to make a deep run in the postseason. With Cade Cunningham and Isaiah Stewart back, this could be the most dangerous team in the Easter Conference Playoffs.
