NBA Team Claims Infamous PS5 Take-Back Was 'An On-Court Skit That Missed the Mark,' Blames 'Poor Communication'

An NBA team who went viral after they took back a PlayStation 5 that a kid seemingly won at a game said it was a "skit" that "missed the mark" after suffering backlash from fans.

"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," the Hornets said in a statement Tuesday, obtained by WBTV.

The incident unfolded Monday after a young fan, Jack, was brought onto the court of the Charlotte Hornets for a giveaway with their mascot. In a video of the incident, the child smiles ear-to-ear after realizing that they were giving him a PlayStation 5 after reading it off the child's wishlist on camera.

However, the boy's uncle revealed that the child later walked off the court, had the PlayStation taken away and was given a jersey instead.

"It got pretty awkward because eventually, he had to make it clear that he wasn't joking. And even though they told me [about the jersey], I still wasn't quite sure what he was going to be keeping or not keeping," Alexei Phillips, the boy's uncle, told Queen City News. "Once he took it away, everybody—the dancers and staff—were kind of in shock."

Video of the incident and its story went viral after it was shared online by a friend of Phillips, leading dozens of fans to ask the Hornets to correct the situation.

In their statement, the team added that not only would they be giving the child a PlayStation 5 "that he should have taken home last night along," but said they would also offer them a VIP experience to another game.