The Charlotte Hornets organization has issued an apology after an on-camera skit that occurred during their game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, where they used a bait-and-switch tactic on a young child.
During the second quarter of Monday's game, the Charlotte Hornets awarded a young fan a PlayStation 5 (PS5) on camera. However, they took the console away when the cameras stopped rolling and replaced it with a jersey.
The incident was caught in a video and shared on X (formerly Twitter) by a person who is allegedly best friends with the child's uncle. The video showed Hugo, the team mascot, handing the console to the fan. In the caption, the user noted it was later taken away off-camera.
Child's Uncle Was Warned
In an interview with Queen City News (QCN), Alexei Phillips, the boy's uncle, said a staff member of the Hornets approached him moments before the incident and said they were taking away the presents given to the kids on the court.
"They just said they're not going to keep what they get. However, they're going to get a jersey afterward," he said.
Phillips was not able to warn his nephew, and he had no opportunity to do so. He added that the Hornets dancers and cheerleaders were confused when a staff member from the organization began taking away the console backstage in an "awkward situation."
The Hornets issued an apology for the incident and admitted that their skit "missed the mark" and that it was a result of "bad decision-making and poor communication." The organization added that they are reaching out to the family of the young boy and will be giving the fan the PS5 and a VIP ticket to a future game.
Other Questionable Sporting Event Decisions
The Hornets' questionable on-camera skit was not the first where a sports organization had a bad judgment when it came to giveaways.
In September of this year, a Purdue student believed he won a kicking competition in a sporting event called "Kicks for Cash." The event would have awarded him a two-year lease on a car.
However, car dealer Rohrman Automotive argued that, upon review of the video of that challenge, the student did not kick the 40-yard field goal in time by five one-hundredths of a second. This meant he was not going to earn his two-year lease.
The car dealership later offered the student a two-year car lease of $5,000 in cash.
