The Charlotte Hornets vow to return a PlayStation 5 to a young fan after gifting him the video-game console during an in-game segment and later taking it back off camera, according to TMZ Sports.
Charlotte Hornets were supposed to give a kid a brand-new PS5 during Monday night’s 121-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers
The Hornets gave the PS5 to a kid during a break in the action of Monday night’s 121-108 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at Spectrum Center. Charlotte’s mascot, Hugo, played Santa and handed out gifts to young fans in attendance.
A young boy named Jack was called to the court to receive a brand-new PS5, but a text exchange posted on social media shortly after claimed it was all fake. The Hornets forced him to give it back when they were no longer on TV.
You guys want to see a cheap sports organization?
In this video my best friend&his nephew get called onto court for a special segment where they gift the kid a PS5 publicly… w/cameras off they TOOK IT AWAY and gave him a jersey.
😂 Take a bow @hornets… crushed the kid pic.twitter.com/mcj5hhsuM5
— USMNT_STAN (@StanUsmnt) December 17, 2024
As a parting gift, the team allegedly gave Jack a Hornets jersey. However, the boy was still disappointed that he didn’t receive the PS5. Fans quickly took to X to call out the NBA team for trolling a kid around Christmastime.
X user posted text messages between him and the boy’s uncle
An X user by the name of “USMNT_STAN” is best friends with the man in the video and the man’s nephew, Jack. He posted the text message conversation between him and his buddy.
“We didn’t know what was going on until like 30 seconds before we walked out on the court,” his friend told him. “The last kid was like a skit, but the first [two] were not, and we didn’t even know what was going on with the last kid when we walked out.”
If anyone wants more details here is how it went down.
Seems like they may been trying to do a skit (why?) and botched communication totally. I still don’t get giving kids stuff before Xmas you aren’t letting them have even if it is a “setup.” That’s confusing and really 🤡 https://t.co/VKzsx38w5A pic.twitter.com/UYO7sHSxpe
— USMNT_STAN (@StanUsmnt) December 17, 2024
“They did like a whisper to me that they wouldn’t get to keep whatever they got, but they didn’t tell the kids. The first kid got a Christmas-themed Brandon Miller jersey, and they tried to take that away and he started crying. So they ended up giving it to him,” his friend added.
“The cheerleader who was with us had no idea we had to give the PS5 back. So she started getting Jack excited about it and asking if we wanted to keep the bag and everything. … And this guy just like came up and was trying to take it away. … The cheerleader and others thought he was joking, so it got super awkward.”
Hornets are giving the boy the jersey, PS5, and a VIP experience
The Hornets addressed the matter in a statement on Tuesday.
“During last night’s game there was an on-court skit that missed the mark,” the team said. “The skit included 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.
Statement from #Hornets on last night’s promotion.
They’re giving the kid a PS5 and VIP experience for future game. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/rbGW4sAIKB
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) December 17, 2024
“We have reached out to the family and are committed to not only making it right but to exceeding expectations. [And] 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.”
This means Jack will be able to keep the Hornets jersey, and he will be gifted the PS5 and a VIP experience. That sounds like a terrific deal for a kid who participated in a “bad skit” without knowing.
