The Charlotte Hornets organization is facing backlash after for a stunt that occurred during Monday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. During the second quarter of Monday's contest, the Hornets performed a skit in which a child was awarded a PlayStation 5 before ultimately having it taken away once he was off camera.
Now the Hornets are attempting to make the situation right as the team apologized for the skit.
"During last night's game there was an on-court skit that missed the mark. The skit included bad decision making and poor communication," the Hornets said in a statement. "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. 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."
The child could be seen on the court with the Hornets' mascot Hugo, who was dressed as Santa Claus for the occasion. After the boy's letter to Santa Claus was read, a cheerleader appeared with a bag that contained the video game console.
Just moments after the cameras stopped rolling, a Hornets staff member took the PS5 away and replaced it with a jersey. The boy's uncle was told that the boy wouldn't be permitted to keep the video game console.
It was a questionable decision for a team that was sold for approximately $3 billion last year. However, it wasn't the only bad judgment call that has been seen when it comes to giveaways at sporting events in recent months.
In September, a Purdue student believed he had a won a kicking competition that would've netted him a two-year lease on a car. However, Zachary Spangler was informed that he wouldn't be receiving the car lease after being told that his 40-yard field goal was not attempted in time, and therefore, wouldn't count.
Ultimately, Rohrman Automotive Group, who was sponsoring the kicking competition, did make the situation right when they offered Spangler the option of taking a two-year car lease or $5,000 cash. Rohrman Automotive Group also planned to donate $5,000 to Ross-Ade Brigade, which is the student section at Purdue's home football games.