An NBA organization recently apologized for a course of action it took, which in a way, paid homage to one of the best Christmas movies. However, that was done in one of the worst possible ways. The Charlotte Hornets were the brand to address fans, who learned that the team's staff went full Grinch and took away gifts they gave to children. Needless to say, this is quite a story to unfold as the pro-basketball organization's season ramps up ahead of the 2025 TV schedule.
Troubles for the Hornets started when a fan took to X to talk about how a seemingly heartwarming in-arena Christmas segment went south during the team's recent matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers. Children, who wrote letters to Santa, received pricey gifts amid the event. However, those items were later taken away once the cameras stopped rolling. Check out the video of the original gesture:
You guys want to see a cheap sports organization?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.😂 Take a bow @hornets… crushed the kid pic.twitter.com/mcj5hhsuM5December 17, 2024
Taking away a new jersey and a PS5 from children this close to Christmas? If I didn't know the context, I would've assumed Jim Carrey suited back up as The Grinch. Although the vast majority of the presents were taken away, the child was allowed to keep the jersey after he started crying.
So, how does this happen? Well, Yahoo Sports reported that while adults were informed the children wouldn't get to keep the presents, the kids themselves were left in the dark. Regardless, one has to wonder who thought it would be a good idea to give children unexpected gifts, only to take them away once the segment was done. This pre-planned moment came from an organization that could afford to buy each of those kids the Home Alone 2 hotel experience several times over. Now, though, the Charlotte Hornets have expressed their intention to make things right:
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.
This change of heart arguably mirrors what one would see in the various adaptations of A Christmas Carol. All in all, it's looking like the kid who had that PS5 taken away from him will have something t
Good on the Charlotte Hornets for making things right, though it remains to be seen if the org will face any lingering blowback. It's possible that there could be some commentary from media pundits at some point. After all, Inside The NBA jabbed Jay-Z's legal issues. So it wouldn't be far-fetched for the Hornets to be joked about over the faux pax sometime during Christmas Day. Speaking of the holiday, check out the NBA schedule for that particular day:
- Spurs vs. Knicks at 12:00 p.m. ET
- Timberwolves vs. Mavericks at 2:30 p.m. ET
- 76ers vs. Celtics 5:00 p.m. ET
- Lakers vs. Warriors 8:00 p.m. ET
- Nuggets vs. Suns 10:30 p.m. ET
So, while watching Yule logs on TV and spending time with family, NBA fans will have plenty to enjoy on Christmas. I don't know about you, but I am indeed curious as to whether the Charlotte Hornets' recent controversy might come up during that big day. Whatever the case, it's just good to see that the situation is being rectified with the kids.
Christmas and all-day NBA games are right around the corner, and we at CinemaBlend are all psyched for the holidays. Be sure to check out all the sports action as you engage in yuletide festivities!
