Jan 21, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) drives to the basket as Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Clifford Omoruyi (11) defends during the first half at State Farm Center. credits: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected forward Terrence Shannon Jr. out of Illinois with the No. 27 overall selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The Chicago native played five years of college basketball, transferring to Illinois after three seasons with Texas Tech. In his final year at Illinois, he averaged 23 points per game.

Shannon has his work cut out for him to become a mainstay in Minnesota’s Western Conference Finals-caliber rotation. But he’s certainly not lacking in confidence.

The Timberwolves official social media page confirmed that he has a cheat code tattooed on his arm from the Grand Theft Auto video game. The cheat code is for unlimited ammo, as on the court, Shannon is the type of player that can put the ball in the basket from anywhere. This is an objectively awesome tattoo.

While he might have unlimited ammo on the court, he’s also an efficient shooter. Throughout his five seasons of college hoops, Shannon averaged 45 percent from the field and 36 percent from deep. He’s much more than a volume scorer; he's an efficient all-around threat on the offensive side of the court.

As it turns out, years ago, Indiana’s Devonte Graham had the same GTA cheat code tattooed on his left arm. 


Many fans questioned why this tattoo is inked on the left arm instead of Shannon and Graham’s right shooting arm.

“Do you shoot and reload with the same arm?” Graham asked his fans on social media.

No. Indeed, you don’t. This was a well-thought-out tattoo idea.

Graham has played seven years in the league and has averaged 11 points per game on 37 percent shooting. Not too shabby for a second-round pick.

Shannon, who was drafted at the end of the first round, would be fortunate to have a similar fate in the NBA, where it’s always much harder for later draft picks to carve out meaningful minutes in a rotation.

Now in the NBA, Shannon will have the opportunity to focus on his unlimited ammo strictly on the basketball court. In June, he was found not guilty on rape charges stemming from a visit to Kansas for a football game in September.

He was initially suspended six games because of the accusation and charges, but a federal judge would reinstate him, stating that his civil rights were compromised by that suspension.

Shannon testified that he had never seen the 18-year-old woman accusing him of this before the case had begun. His attorneys called the allegations a “blind accusation” and questioned the motives of the accuser.

It’s back to basketball, and unlimited ammo, for Shannon and the Timberwolves as he looks to finish the NBA Summer League on a strong note.