Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images.
It has been a while since Detroit Pistons fans have seen Cade Cunningham take the court for their favorite team.
For that reason, it might be understandable that some Pistons fans forget what Cunningham looks like. Some doctored photos circulating of the former No. 1 pick aren’t helping matters.
In the pictures, Cunningham looks noticeably weathered and much older than his actual age of 21.
Dawg we gotta trade Cade this mf come back from not even a whole offseason and look worse than James Harden pic.twitter.com/8SD3G8EyzD
— tyler (@tyiertyier) June 24, 2023
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Cade Cunningham looks like he’s been through Shit man wtf happened 😭 pic.twitter.com/yoWbaZTZfv
— Lord_Shana (@HoodiJimmy) June 25, 2023
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Of course, the good news here is that these pictures aren’t real. They’ve been altered to make Cunningham look aged and heavier.
The actual photos can be seen below.
Let’s settle this once and for all. Those Cade Cunningham pics are fake.
Here are the real ones. pic.twitter.com/W07F5KnPCm
— Pistons Nation (@PistonsNationCP) June 25, 2023
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After a strong debut season in which he made the NBA’s All-Rookie Team, Cunningham played in only 12 games in 2022-23. A stress fracture in his left shin wiped out the rest of the slate.
Cunningham averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per outing before getting injured. If the Pistons are going to take a leap from the NBA basement in 2023-24, a healthy Cunningham is going to need to play a major role.