The Charlotte Hornets gave themselves a big L in public relations after the team pretended to gift a young fan with a PS5

December 18, 2024 | 08:18am

NBA Team Gives Kid A PS5, Then Takes It Back When The Cameras Were Off

The Charlotte Hornets gave themselves a big L in public relations after the team pretended to gift a young fan with a PS5

This caused such an uproar that the Hornets subsequently issued an apology that claimed the giveaway was meant to be an on-court skit. The Hornets went on to say that the team has reached out to the family of the boy to offer him a PS5 and a VIP experience at a future home game.

Statement from #Hornets on last night’s promotion.
They’re giving the kid a PS5 and VIP experience for future game. @wcnc pic.twitter.com/rbGW4sAIKB
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) December 17, 2024

According to Yahoo Sports, the boy's uncle was informed ahead of time that he wouldn't be keeping the PS5, but apparently no one told the child. The story quickly picked up steam nationally and in the local press before the Hornets reversed course. Turner subsequently wrote, "Credit to Hornets for making it right [and] taking immediate action. Owning mistakes is a great thing and often organizations try to cover their tracks."

Until last year, NBA legend Michael Jordan was the controlling owner of the Hornets before selling the majority of his stake to a new ownership team.

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