Bones Hyland was just having fun.
But one of the referees in charge of the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ game on Sunday night wasn’t having it at all.
On a night when the Wolves cruised to a 117-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors, maybe the most fascinating moment came when Hyland was given a technical foul.
He was punished for an interaction with one of the refs, and upon further review, it looked like a total joke — not that the call was a joke, but that Hyland himself was joking.
Why Bones Hyland Got a Technical Foul
Hyland’s tech came after a play as he walked side by side with an official.
Hyland appeared to make a motion as if he was throwing the ball at the ref, but Hyland did it with a smile on his face.
The referee almost immediately gave a ‘T’ to Hyland, but the reactionary face from Hyland says it all.
Because he clearly wasn’t thinking about actually throwing the ball at the ref, Hyland’s face is in disbelief.
Apparently only one of the two was in on the joke.
You can watch the clip here (or at this link if it doesn’t display correctly):
Bones Hyland receives a tech for jokingly pretending to throw the ball at ref
His facial expression after it was hilarious
https://t.co/72bo4Jzc3J
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) October 26, 2026
when I’m joking and someone takes me seriously: https://t.co/KATyDEM8O0
— lex (@maplewedgie) October 26, 2026
The action came with less than two minutes left in the game and the Wolves up 25, as well. There definitely was no seriousness involved from Hyland.
It’s fair for a ref to be on high alert for anything potentially violent and to also make sure things are kept in line — but hopefully he too could have a laugh when he watched this clip back after the game.
Bones Hyland’s Real Name
And while we’re here, a quick refresher on the fact that Hyland’s first name is indeed not Bones.
His full name is Nah’Shon Lee Hyland.
Hyland just happens to have been quite the skinny, lanky basketball player for a long time. The nickname fits.
Halloween is also coming up, so it’s a fairly spooky nickname as well for Hyland to have fully embraced.
Now 26, Hyland has done a good job of keeping himself relevant in the NBA. Good thing, because it’s not clear if he could have a career as a jokester if he needed to do that as a second act.
Timberwolves’ Bones Hyland Punished by Ref for Making a Joke