Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung appears to have come from in‑game chest trauma during a recent Detroit Pistons matchup, most likely the game against the Washington Wizards where he left early with what was first described as back spasms.

Quick Scoop: What Actually Happened?

Most reports so far agree on the basics:

  • Cunningham was diagnosed with a left lung pneumothorax (medical term for a collapsed lung).
  • The issue was identified after he exited a game early and underwent further evaluation and imaging.
  • A widely discussed replay shows him going after a loose ball and taking a hard knee/impact to the left upper chest area from a Wizards player, which medical commentators point to as the most likely cause.

In simple terms, the current understanding is:

A hit to the chest during play likely caused air to leak from his lung into the chest cavity, leading to the collapse on the left side.

How Does a Hit Cause a Collapsed Lung?

Doctors explaining his case note that:

  • A collapsed lung happens when a hole or tear in the lung lets air escape into the space between the lung and chest wall, making the lung shrink down from pressure.
  • This can be from direct trauma (like a knee or elbow to the chest) or, less commonly, from medical procedures done to treat another issue.
  • In Cunningham’s situation, experts analyzing the video say the chest blow is the leading explanation, with a small possibility that something done later in treatment worsened or revealed the pneumothorax.

So when people ask “how did Cade get a collapsed lung,” the best-supported answer right now is:

From game contact to his chest , producing a traumatic pneumothorax on his left side.

What Are They Doing for Him Now?

From team and media updates:

  • The team has ruled him out and says he will be re‑evaluated in roughly two weeks, which is consistent with a mild–moderate sports pneumothorax.
  • Doctors say treatment commonly involves monitoring and sometimes a chest tube to let trapped air escape so the lung can re‑expand.
  • For healthy NBA athletes, typical missed time for this kind of injury is often under a month , though exact timelines depend on how quickly the lung fully reinflates and heals.

Context: How Serious Is This?

Medical experts commenting on his situation emphasize:

  • It sounds scary but is often very treatable, especially in a young, otherwise healthy pro athlete.
  • Once the lung is re‑expanded and stable, oxygen levels usually stay normal because the other lung compensates.
  • The big concern is avoiding a setback: returning too early or taking another big hit before the tissue fully heals.

TL;DR:
Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung was almost certainly caused by an in‑game blow to his left chest during a recent Pistons game, producing a left lung pneumothorax that doctors are now treating and monitoring, with an expected recovery measured in weeks rather than months.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.