AI-altered TikTok claims OKC Thunder coach eyed Filipino teen before his death

Social media users in the Philippines shared a TikTok video that superimposed Tagalog captions onto a press-conference recording of Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, alleging he was preparing to draft the recently deceased Filipino prospect Rene Baterbonia for the 2026-27 season. The post, uploaded on July 20, amassed more than 869,000 views and claimed the team had discussed a $25 million multi-year deal for the 18-year-old Ateneo De Manila University student.

One outlet’s investigation found the original YouTube video, published on May 31, showed Daigneault speaking about season-end topics with no mention of Baterbonia, and that the mouth movements did not match the added audio, which was flagged as likely AI-generated. Baterbonia and teammate Divine Adili died in a drowning incident during a team-building exercise on June 8, sparking widespread online mourning and a statement from officials in Talacogon, Mindanao, urging the public to cease fundraising appeals and grave-visiting posts. The altered video exemplifies how deep-fake technology can spread false narratives about sports figures.