Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has a slight tweak that he'd like to see applied to the NBA's rule book.
While the list of criticisms for the modern NBA are in no short supply, one of the most intriguing shifts over the last several years has been the access for coaches to challenge calls mid-game. While leagues like the NFL have worked to utilize challenges for many years, the NBA is forging their own new journey into the process in an attempt to eliminate errant calls, and it’s come with mixed reviews so far.
During Media Day for the 2026 All-Star Game, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham took the microphone to field questions that touched on his perception of basketball and what he’d alter about the game in its current form. After initially asserting that he’s a fan of the way basketball is played for the most part as is, Cunningham theorized that he’d like to see some adjustments to the way reviews are handled, particularly the length of time needed to complete a single call.
“There's little things I think you could change or whatever, but I think we have the most beautiful game there is, honestly,” Cunningham said. “I mean, yeah, we could change things to make a certain crowd happy, but if you keep it you keep a crowd happy. So I think it's just about keeping the game as pure as possible and allow fans to see the best players go out there and compete every night, so it's not too much I would change. You know, maybe we shorten the time limit, like there's a time limit on challenges or something. We keep the game going, whatever. But I love it, again, I think it's a beautiful game.”
To his point, when the officials head to the play screen to adjudicate an in-game challenge, the entire affair can range anywhere from two minutes to five minutes per review. Since basketball is such a rhythm-dependent sport, Cunningham knows what it’s like to stand around for those two minutes or those five minutes where struggling teams can regroup and completely shift the momentum depending on the outcome of the challenge.
Overall, though, the main sentiment that Cunningham sought to communicate was that he is passionate for the game of basketball in its truest form. So passionate, in fact, that the All-Star floor starter can feel himself grow frustrated when the game is fragmented into what he views as unnecessarily lengthy reviews.
Quite often this season, the Pistons have been on the other side of teams issuing a challenge in order to steal some momentum by overturning a pivotal call. That’s the burden that playing on a first place squad can bring, but Cunningham has learned how to block out the outside noise.
In a way, that’s why Cade would like to see some regulation around reviews in the first place. If it detracts from the quality of basketball when he’s between the lines for those 48 minutes, then Cunningham is not interested.
In Motown, it’s all hoops, all the time.
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