On December 12, 2022, Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham announced his intention to undergo season-ending surgery to address a left shin injury. The number-one NBA draft pick of 2021 had initially spent over a month on the sidelines in an attempt to see if the injury would respond to rest and rehabilitation. However, doctors and the team ultimately decided that surgery would be the best long-term route in order “stabilize and promote complete healing of a left tibial stress fracture,” according to ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski.

After an exciting rookie season, many expected Cunningham to take another huge leap forward during his sophomore year. While he is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp in 2023, his injury means that NBA fans will have to wait until next season in order to watch the Pistons’ promising young guard ply his trade on the court again. Fans will also have to wait another year to see how he meshes with other promising Pistons teammates like Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart — along with rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some lesser-known facts about the Texas-born hooper. 

#1.) Came from family of athletes

Cunningham’s father, Keith, was a star high school quarterback whose football career trajectory was stifled by a freak accident shortly after beginning his freshman year at Texas Tech University. Cunningham’s older brother, Cannen, played college basketball at Southern Methodist University. As an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University, he coached younger brother Cade during his single season of college hoops.

#2.) Excelled at football

Cunningham followed in his father’s footsteps as a quarterback—completing back-to-back undefeated seasons during his 7th and 8th grade middle school years—before choosing to focus on basketball. According to Cannen Cunningham, Cade credited his his experience as a quarterback for the development of his point guard skills on the basketball court. “Just training his vision,” Cannen noted in an interview with Texas Monthly reporter Robert O’Connell. “He really was—really is—good at galvanizing his troops.”

#3.) Went vegan in high school

Cunningham first experimented with eating a vegan diet during his last summer of high school. “I just wanted to learn more about it,” he wrote in a rookie diary post, as told to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. Cunningham noted that he saw significant improvements on the basketball court after adopting a vegan diet routine. “I was feeling great about my body and where I was,” he wrote. “So, I just continued it.”

#4.) Became a father as a teenager

Cunningham’s daughter, Riley, was born during his senior year of high school. His mother, Carrie, admitted in an interview with Oklahoman reporter Jacob Unruh that she was initially worried about her son becoming a father at such a young age. However, Cade’s love and commitment to his daughter soon eased her concerns. “He loves her so fully,” she said of her son’s relationship with his daughter. “He wants the best for her in life. To be as young as he is, it’s pretty amazing.” For his part, Cade credits Riley for helping keep him motivated and for giving basketball an even greater purpose in his life. “I have to make this work,” he told Unruh. “I have to do the best in whatever I’m pursuing for her. It changed the way I looked at life, for sure. That made me lock in a little bit more.”

#5.) Finished third in Rookie of the Year voting

After missing training camp and the preseason due to an ankle injury, Cunningham’s NBA rookie season got off to a slow start. “It was tough,” he told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, while noting that the time he spent nursing his injury on the bench may have also been a blessing in disguise. “Sitting there watching helped my game a lot, mentally especially. I feel like there was a lot of things going on in my mind, but it just kept me poised and really helped me learn about myself and how to keep myself steady.” Cunningham went on to average impressive stats of 17 points and 5 assists per game during his rookie season, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, behind first-place winner Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors and runner-up Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers.