Charlotte Hornets pretend to give kid PS5, then swap it out for a jersey

As a long-time basketball enthusiast and season ticket holder for the Charlotte Hornets, I’ve seen my fair share of ups and downs with this team. However, the recent Christmas promotional skit fiasco has taken the cake as the most embarrassing moment yet.

The Charlotte Hornets demonstrated that their public relations might not be any better than their basketball performance, as they messed up a holiday promotional skit quite badly. During the live event, Hugo, the team mascot, presented a PlayStation 5 to a 13-year-old boy on camera. However, things took an unexpected turn once they went offstage. Alexei Phillips, the boy’s uncle, shared with WJYZ-TV what transpired afterwards.

Phillips stated, “Later, we made our way towards the backstage area. The person who initially discovered us was the one who began to remove what appeared to be a PS5. Everyone assumed it was a joke since no one thought he would actually take the console from the child.

Nobody indeed. The Hornets have a team payroll of more than $140 million. As millions of fans are commenting on social media, they are still a bargain basement embarrassment in so many ways. Here’s the bizarre skit:

Worsening the situation, Phillips is a regular season ticket holder. What an unfortunate move towards one of your devoted supporters, Hornets. If you gave me a PS5 and then exchanged it for a Hornets jersey, I would get rid of it so quickly.

Fortunately, the story had a positive resolution following the chaos that ensued when the incident went public. Not only did the team restore the PS5 to its owner, but they also offered the young admirer an exclusive experience as a make-good. Initially, Phillips, his nephew, was thrilled about receiving the jersey and court appearance, but the turn of events, which felt like a bait-and-switch, left him with a bitter taste.

The team apologized for their skit, acknowledging it involved “questionable judgment and inadequate communication.” In today’s social media age, it’s hard to imagine how this organization believed such issues wouldn’t cause backlash. However, given their history of underperforming, the Charlotte Hornets seem to live up to their reputation as a less-than-reputable team. It might be beneficial for the young fan to learn early on about their less-than-professional nature.

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2024-12-18 21:57