A basketball team has faced significant backlash online after a controversial incident involving a PlayStation 5 and a child. The Charlotte Hornets, currently ranked 13th out of 15 in the Eastern Conference, hosted a segment during their game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night (December 16).
Their mascot, Hugo the hornet, took on the role of Santa Claus for the festive season, seated on a chair and distributing gifts to young fans who had submitted letters to Santa.
One child had requested a PS5, and after his letter was read aloud by a presenter, a cheerleader handed a bag to the mascot. Hugo then revealed the console and presented it to the boy.
The child was initially thrilled to receive the gift, but the excitement was short-lived. Allegedly, a staff member from the NBA team took the console back after leaving the court, replacing it with a jersey.
A video capturing the moment was shared on social media by a friend of the child’s uncle, who had brought his nephew to the game. The incident quickly spread on Twitter, drawing widespread criticism.
Comments on the platform ranged from “Mannn that’s bogus as hell,” to “Bro what?! That’s shameful,” and “Disgusting. Just give the jersey publicly don’t front like you’re giving some amazing gift.”
In an interview with Queen City News, the child’s uncle, Alexei Phillips, explained that someone from the Hornets had reached out to see if they wanted to participate in a court activity.
Phillips noted that he and another parent were briefed about the proceedings, being told, “They just said they’re not going to keep what they get, however, they’re going to get a jersey afterward.”
Despite this, Phillips admitted he was still hopeful his nephew might actually receive the PS5.
He went on to describe the situation: “Then we get kind of like all the way to the backstage and, you know, the guy who kind of found us in the first place, he starts to kind of take it away. And everybody thinks he’s joking because nobody would think he’d be taking the PS5 from the kid.”
When it became apparent the staff member was serious, Phillips said the situation turned ‘pretty awkward’, noting, “Essentially, once he took it away, everybody was kind of, you know, the dancers and stuff were kind of like in shock.”
In response, the Hornets issued a statement expressing regret for the incident: “During last night’s game there was an on-court skit that missed the mark. 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. 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.”
Phillips mentioned there are ‘no hard feelings’, but suggested the situation could have been avoided if they had been upfront about not keeping the gifts.
“The funny thing is, if he had just gone out in the first place and they just gave him a jersey out there on the court, he would have been stoked, you know,” he remarked.