The Washington Wizards tried to get a laugh in the middle of a rough season, but the joke didn’t land the way they expected.
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During their April 1 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Wizards staged an April Fools’ Day skit that quickly turned into a PR moment they had to clean up. A fan was brought onto the court for a blindfolded half-court shot with what looked like a cash prize on the line. The shot came up short, but inside the arena, nobody let that be known right away.
“Somebody’s rich,” the in-arena host said. “The mascots are going crazy. The contestant is going crazy. The crowd is going crazy.”
For a moment, the fan celebrated like they had just hit a life-changing shot. Then came the twist. The replay rolled on the Jumbotron, showing the miss in real time.
“You didn’t see it; we all saw it. You want to see it?” the host continued. “All right, take a look at the screen for the replay.”
The reveal didn’t sit right with a lot of people watching, and the backlash picked up fast online. By the next day, the Wizards issued a statement owning the misstep.
“We apologize for last night’s April Fools’ joke that left many wondering if we had misled the fan. The skit involving our mascot and other members of our performance team was scripted and intended to celebrate the day. All participants were in on the joke, but we missed the mark.”
The team gave the fan an autographed jersey and future courtside seats, but the moment already had its own life. On the court, Washington also took another loss, falling 153-131 and extending a tough stretch as the season winds down.
