Timberwolves Give Joe Ingles the Starting Nod for Incredibly Wholesome Reason

Minnesota Timberwolves veteran forward Joe Ingles heard his name called in the starting lineup Friday night for the first time in over three years. And he wasn't the only member of his family to hear that name over the loudspeakers.

According to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Ingles's wife, Renae, and their three kids have been living in Orlando all year but are in the Twin Cities this week. Ingles's son, Jacob, is autistic, and earlier this week he watched an entire NBA game in the arena for the first time. Unfortunately, Ingles didn't play during that contest.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wasn't about to let that happen two games in a row. So he gave Ingles a starting nod Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans—the veteran's first start since Jan. 30, 2022 with the Utah Jazz—ensuring young Jacob Ingles would see his dad on the floor.

Prior to the game earlier this week, the sensory overload of an NBA arena had always been too much for Jacob. But the family was thrilled when Jacob said he wanted to watch the entire game, and was able to make it through. Only bummer: Joe didn't play. Finch changing that tonight
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) March 21, 2025

Now that's pretty cool.

Ingles didn't score in his six minutes on the floor in the first quarter, missing three shots from the field. But he did finish with a +1 plus/minus as the Wolves took a 28–22 lead into the second quarter.