Fact Check: Did Minnesota Timberwolves pierce their noses, dye their hair to honor Renee Good at game?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A viral claim circulating widely on social media alleges that the Minnesota Timberwolves pierced their noses, dyed their hair, and wore knit hats during the national anthem to honor Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis woman fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer.

Good, 37, was killed less than four miles from the Timberwolves' Target Center following a confrontation with the ICE last week.

Claim: Minnesota Timberwolves pierced their noses, dyed their hair, and wore knit hats to honor Renee Nicole Good 

People online are saying that some Timberwolves players changed how they looked during a recent game, like nose piercings, dyed hair, and knit hats, supposedly as a direct tribute to Renee Good while the national anthem played.

A lot of these posts hint that the whole thing was a planned protest by the team against federal immigration enforcement. The story’s making the rounds fast on X and other sites.

The killing of Good sparked protests throughout the day on Wednesday and into Thursday, with demonstrators gathering outside government buildings and marching through neighborhoods near where the shooting occurred.

Fact Check: False, the viral video is an AI-generated fabrication

The video going around that supposedly shows Timberwolves players looking different during the national anthem isn’t real.

Digital evidence and several independent sources confirm it’s an AI-edited clip.

Fake details, like odd hairstyles, piercings, and hats, were added onto the footage to make it seem like the players were staging some kind of protest.

According to multiple reputable news outlets, the Minnesota Timberwolves held a moment of silence before their January 8, 2026, home game to honor Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier that week.

Players from both teams stood silently on the court, and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch offered condolences to Good’s family and the local community.

“As we all know, our community has suffered yet another unspeakable tragedy,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said before tipoff against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“We want to just convey our condolences and heartfelt wishes and prayers and thoughts to the families and loved ones and all of those that are greatly affected by what happened.”

The post shared a satirical AI-edited video mocking Minnesota Timberwolves players’ fashion, dyed hair, nose rings, and beanies,  by overlaying text claiming it’s a ‘tribute’ to Renee Nicole Good.

The post used clips from Fergie’s notoriously off-key 2018 NBA All-Star anthem performance, and the edit exaggerates ridicule of the players’ styles and the gesture.

Thus, the claim that the Minnesota Timberwolves pierced their noses, dyed their hair, and wore knit hats to honor Renee Good during the national anthem is false and based on a fabricated AI video.