NBA team the Charlotte Hornets screwed up and is having to apologize after recently giving a young fan a PlayStation 5 console during a Christmas-themed halftime skit and then taking the console away after the cameras were turned off. The team is also gifting the fan a PS5 he can keep this time, too.
On December 16, during a basketball game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Charlotte Hornets, young fans were brought onto the court to greet the cheerleaders and the team’s mascot. While on court, a woman read their Christmas letters to Santa and handed out gifts. One kid, who worked really hard to get good grades this year, wanted a PlayStation 5 console. And that’s what the kid got. You can see how happy he is in the video below. But that video also claims that after halftime, staff took away the PS5 and replaced it with a jersey.
Boston 25 explained that cheerleaders and other people involved in the halftime event were reportedly confused when staff took away the kid’s PS5 gift. Apparently, the child’s uncle, likely the adult in the grey and blue hoodie in the video above, knew ahead of time that the gift would be taken away and failed to share that info with his nephew.
As you might expect, a team worth billions cheaping out and taking away a kid’s Christmas gift after pretending to give it to him in front of cameras didn’t go over well online. People rightfully called out the team and its staff for the horrible prank, and within 24 hours the Hornets issued an apology.
On Tuesday, the team said its “on-court skit…missed the mark” and blamed it on “bad decision making and poor communication.”
“Simply put, we turned the ball over and we apologize. We have reached out to the family and are committed to not only making it right but to exceeding expectations,” said the team in a statement shared by reporter Nick Carboni.
“We will be providing the fan with the PS5 that he should have taken home last night along with a VIP experience to a future game. Our goal is and will remain to elevate the guest experience for every person that enters Spectrum Center, and to show our fans how much we appreciate their relentless support.”
And if you were wondering: The Hornets received karmic justice Monday night after taking away the kid’s PS5. The team went on to lose 121-108 to the Sixers.