Sources say Kawhi Leonard's braids still intact, photo edited

June 21 (UPI) -- Twitter was sent into panic Tuesday night when a photo emerged of San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard without his trademark braids. Sources say the photo is a fake.

People close to the 2017 NBA MVP candidate told the San Antonio Express-News that Leonard's braids are "still intact."

#BraidGate began Tuesday when CBA player Xuewen Zhang posted a photo to Weibo. The photo featured Leonard posing with three other men. The defensive standout was hardly recognizable without his famous flow of cornrows.

Fans were quick to take notice, going into a frenzy of displeasure regarding the supposed haircut.

Several Twitter users posted memes and photos, shocked to see the development.

Leonard played with braids through high school and college, before being drafted and traded by the Indiana Pacers as the No. 15 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He has played six seasons for the Spurs, winning a championship and the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, being named to the All-Defensive team three times and being a two-time All-NBA selection.

The 25-year-old even had braids in the eighth-grade, according to a photo of his student ID obtained by SB Nation.

Leonard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He is a nominee for the award again this season, matching up against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert.