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The NBA‘s Charlotte Hornets organization is currently under fire for gifting a child with a Sony PS5 on camera, only to reneg on the gesture and attempt to take back the gaming console.
The incident in question occurred on Monday (Dec. 16), during the Hornets’ home game against the Philadelphia 76ers. At one point during the game, a man and his nephew were invited onto the court, under the expectation that the child would recieve a gift.
The fan would receive a free Sony PS5, a moment which was captured by cameras filming the segment. However, shortly after the segment, the gaming console was retrieved from the child, who was instead given a free Charlotte Hornets jersey as a consolation.
The organization was blasted by fans after a social media post critiquing the seemingly “cheap” move quickly went viral.
“You guys want to see a cheap sports organization,” began an X post, said to be written by a friend of the fan and child in question. “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.”
According to the post, the child in question was “crushed” after having the gaming console taken away from him, resulting in a public outcry against the Hornets. Some demanding the child should be given back the PS5, which the Hornets agreed to do while issuing a public apology for the PR snafu.
“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,” the statement said.
English (US) ·