Wizards fan on April 1, 2026
Credit: NBA Canada/Instagram (2)
NEED TO KNOW
The Washington Wizards faced backlash on social media after a halftime segment seemingly tricked a fan into thinking he had won $10,000
The in-arena hosts cheered and pretended the blindfolded man had made a half-court shot
The Wizards issued a statement apologizing and said the fan was “in on the joke” the whole time
The Washington Wizards are apologizing after they pretended to play an April Fool’s Day prank on a fan, leading to a social media outcry.
During halftime of the Wizards’ blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, April 1, the team’s in-arena host brought a fan named Jackson down to the floor to attempt a half-court shot worth $10,000 at D.C.’s Capital One Arena.
Blindfolded and surrounded by mascots, Jackson attempted the shot and missed, but the host shouted, “Oh my!” and the mascots started cheering, leading Jackson to think he had sunk the shot and won the generous cash prize.
Wizards fan on April 1, 2026
Credit: NBA Canada/Instagram
Airhorns started blaring and the Wizards’ hype team celebrated with Jackson, handing him the large check for $10,000 before the host made him watch a replay of his shot.
Once Jackson saw that he actually missed the shot, the in-arena host grabbed his hand and broke the news to him that he’d been pranked. “I really, really hate April Fool’s Day. I’m so sorry,” she told Jackson, as the check was taken away from him.
Instead of the ten grand, the Wizards offered Jackson a signed jersey and courtside seats for a game next season, but fans were upset with the prank and felt it was in poor taste.
“This is an insane thing to do to someone who willingly attended a Wizards game,” said one fan, noting Washington’s poor 17-59 record on the season. “From the way the Wizards are playing this seasons they should actually give their fans money just for remaining to be fans,” said another.
A day later, the Wizards issued a statement apologizing, saying that they “missed the mark” and confirmed that the prank was scripted.
“We apologize for last night’s April Fools’ joke that left many wondering if we had misled a fan,” the Wizards said in a statement on X. “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.”
“Our fans are our priority, and we continue to be committed to providing a positive experience to all who attend the games,” the Wizards’ statement concluded.
Read the original article on People