Hornets Take Back 13-Year-Old’s PS5 On-Court Giveaway
Source: Eakin Howard / Getty
A holiday skit at the Charlotte Hornets’ game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night took an unexpected turn, drawing backlash on social media. According to Queen City News, the skit featured the team’s mascot, Hugo, dressed as Santa, gifting a PlayStation 5 to a young fan. But after the cameras stopped rolling, the Hornets took the PS5 back and instead gave the boy a jersey.
The incident, which quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter) with over 3.4 million views by Tuesday night, involved 13-year-old Jack Turner, who had been brought to the game by his uncle, Alexei Phillips, a Hornets season ticket holder. Phillips said his family was approached early in the game to participate in an on-court activity, but wasn’t told what it entailed until they were about to go out.
