CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 25: The Charlotte Hornets mascot Hugo stands on the court before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Spectrum Center on November 25, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Talk about an intentional foul.
A young Charlotte Hornets fan thought he was receiving a Christmas wish when he was gifted a coveted PlayStation 5 in front of a raucous crowd during Monday night's game, but was crushed when the team took the video game console away from him backstage moments later.
Alexei Phillips told Queen City News, a local news station, that he took his 13-year-old nephew to see the Hornets play the Philadelphia 76ers. At the start of the game, a member of the Hornets staff approached them and asked if they wanted to be on the court with the team's mascot, Hugo, he said.
"Someone from their fan team kind of reached out to us and said, 'Hey, do you guys wanna be on the court with Hugo?' And we said sure," he told the station.
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A video posted on social media shows Phillips and his nephew standing on the court next to Hugo dressed in a Santa costume. An announcer then reads what appears to be a Christmas letter.
"I have another letter here. It says, 'Dear Santa Hugo, I've been working hard in school all year ... I've also been working on my jump shot but my jump shot in [NBA] 2K needs some work. I really want a PlayStation if you have one, P.S. a PlayStation 5."
It's unclear if Phillips' nephew wrote the letter, but a Hornets' dancer walks out onto the court carrying a large gift bag with a PS5 in it. The teen is visibly excited as Hugo hands him the gift.
NBA
"Happy holidays, friend," the announcer says.
According to Phillips, the holiday cheer ended the moment they walked backstage. A Hornets' staffer came and quickly took the PS5 away.
"It got pretty awkward," he told the news station. "Because [the staffer] had to make it clear he wasn't joking."
Phillips told the news station that right before he went out onto the court with his nephew, the staffer whispered to him that the teen would not be able to keep the gift and would get a jersey instead.
The Hornets later described the incident as an "on-court skit that missed the mark." The team reached out to Phillips and his nephew's parents and offered the teen a PS5 as well as a VIP experience to another game.
"The skit included bad decision making and poor communication," the team said in a statement to news outlets. "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. ... 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 said there are no hard feelings toward the team.
"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 told the station.
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