The Charlotte Hornets have issued an apology for a poorly executed in-game skit in which a young fan was promised a PlayStation 5, only to have it taken away off-camera.
The incident occurred during the second quarter of Monday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers when the team’s mascot, Hugo dressed as Santa Claus, invited a 13-year-old fan onto the court. After a letter to Santa asking for a PS5 was read aloud, a cheerleader presented the console, exciting both the crowd and the boy.
However, the excitement quickly faded when a Hornets staff member took the PS5 away after the cameras stopped rolling, giving the boy a jersey instead, according to witnesses and a viral social media post. This left the boy, his family, and even the team’s performers confused and stunned.
Alexei Phillips, the boy’s uncle and a season ticket holder, explained to Queen City News that the family had been approached earlier to participate in the skit. While Phillips was informed beforehand that the boy would not be keeping the PS5, this information was not shared with his nephew.
“Everyone thought he was keeping it – cheerleaders, dancers, everyone,” Phillips said. “When they took it away, people assumed it was a joke. Then they realized it wasn’t.”
The incident sparked anger on social media, with a post about it receiving over 3.4 million views by Tuesday night. Many fans criticized the Hornets for what they called a misleading and “Grinch-like” gesture.
In response, the Hornets issued a public apology, acknowledging the mishap. “During last night’s game, there was an on-court skit that missed the mark,” the team said in a statement. “The skit included bad decision making and poor communication. Simply put, we turned the ball over and we apologize.”
The Hornets promised to make things right by giving the boy the PS5 he was promised, along with a VIP experience at a future game.
Phillips stated that the Hornets had reached out to him and his nephew to express their regret for the incident. “There are no hard feelings,” he said. “But this could’ve been avoided if they’d just given him the jersey on the court in the first place. He would’ve been thrilled.”
The Hornets lost the game 121-108 to the Sixers, bringing their season record to 7-19.
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