NBA team issues statement after PS5 giveaway ends with child in tears

An on-court PS5 giveaway has gone wrong for a young fan at an NBA basketball game on Monday.

During the December 15 clash between the Charlotte Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers, a child and his uncle were called onto the court and presented with a 'PS5, and VIP experience for a future game'. The segment centralized around a Christmas theme, aimed to promote the holiday spirit. A presenter from the Hornets reads out the boy's holiday wish - a request for a PS5 to play the NBA 2k series.

The boy is ecstatic upon receiving the gift - the team's presenter, and a santa-dressed mascot wishing him a happy holidays. But when the cameras turned off things began to started taking a turn.

"I've been working hard at school all year, making sure my grades are full of A's," said the boy

Bizarrely, following the segment, the team reportedly took away the gift, replacing it with a jersey when the cameras were off. The boy's Uncle took to social media to express his dismay:

Various responses accused the Uncle of lying about the incident. However, the incident was confirmed by a local journalist, and the team issued a statement admitting their wrongdoing and expressed they are committed to not only making it right with the child and their family but to exceeding expectations.

Yahoo Sports reported that the boy's Uncle was informed about this prior to the incident, but no one informed the child receiving the console. But for a franchise with a valuation of $3.3B, it raises question as to why a giveaway would even require a false pretense.

At any rate, this holiday saga has reached a resolution. Most importantly, with the boy receiving the PS5 that was promised, along with a VIP experience to a future game.