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Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons nearly made an early exit from the playoffs.
Instead, they rallied to beat the Orlando Magic in seven games and move on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cunningham has done it a little differently, too, at least as far as his appearance is concerned.
If it looks like Cunningham is a bit bulkier than usual, your eyes aren't deceiving you. He's wearing a sort of compression vest, flak jacket underneath his jersey.
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Why is Cade Cunningham wearing a flak jacket?
Cunningham is protecting his lungs.
He left the Pistons' game on March 17 and didn't return until April 8 after sustaining a collapsed lung.
It's a scary-sounding injury, and it's definitely not ideal for a high-end athlete.
Cunningham has obviously been cleared to play, but keeping that area of his chest safe is a logical decision, to be sure.
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) May 4, 2026It doesn't seem that Cunningham has been affected by the extra bulk.
During the regular season, he shot 46.1% from the floor, and he's at 46.2% through the first round of the playoffs. He's also shooting better from 3-point range -- 34.2% to 39.6% in the playoffs.
Maybe it would've felt uncomfortable at first, but Cunningham clearly seems up to speed with the new look now, and the Pistons will be hoping their superstar can keep carrying the weight of the team on his shoulders, too.
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