The Charlotte Hornets have apologized for an in-game skit gone flawed during which a younger fan was promised a PlayStation 5 solely to have it taken away off-camera.
The incident occurred through the second quarter of Monday’s sport towards the Philadelphia 76ers, when Hugo, the staff’s mascot dressed as Santa Claus, introduced a 13-year-old fan onto the sector. After a letter to Santa requesting a PS5 was learn aloud, a cheerleader offered the console, drawing cheers from the gang and visual pleasure from the boy.
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However the pleasure rapidly evaporated when a Hornets workers member took again the console after the cameras stopped rolling and handed the boy a jersey as an alternative, in accordance with witnesses and a viral social media submit . The confusion reportedly left the boy, his household and even staff members shocked.
Alexei Phillips, the boy’s uncle and season ticket holder, advised Queen Metropolis Information that the household had been approached by workers to take part within the skit earlier within the sport. Whereas Phillips was quietly knowledgeable moments earlier than the skit that the boy wouldn’t be retaining the PS5, this important element was not shared together with his nephew.
“Everybody thought he was retaining it — the cheerleaders, the dancers, everybody,” Phillips mentioned. “After they received, individuals thought it was a joke. Then they realized that wasn’t the case.
The incident sparked outrage on social media after a viewer’s submit concerning the skit was seen greater than 3.4 million instances as of Tuesday night. Followers criticized the Hornets for what many known as a misleading and “Grinch-like” transfer.
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On this video, my greatest buddy and his nephew are known as onto the sector for a particular phase the place they publicly present the child a PS5…cameras off, they took him away and gave him a jersey.
😂 Say howdy @hornets…crushed the kid pic.twitter.com/mcj5hhsuM5
– USMNT_STAN (@StanUsmnt) December 17, 2024
The Hornets issued a public apology Tuesday, acknowledging their mistake. “Throughout final evening’s sport, there was a skit on the sector that missed the mark,” the staff mentioned. mentioned in a press release. “The skit included poor decision-making and poor communication. Merely put, now we have handed the buck and we apologize.
The staff promised to make amends by giving the boy the PS5 he was promised, in addition to a VIP expertise at an upcoming sport.
Phillips mentioned the Hornets have since contacted him and his nephew, expressing remorse over the incident. “There are not any arduous emotions,” he mentioned. “However it might have been prevented if they’d simply given him the jersey on the pitch within the first place. He would have been delighted.
The Hornets misplaced 121-108 to the Sixers in Monday’s sport, falling to 7-19 on the season.
