Washington Wizards Play Cruel April Fool’s Prank on Fan by Making Him Believe He Hit a Blindfolded Shot for $10K — Later Claim He Was In On It

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The Washington Wizards on Wednesday pulled an April Fool’s Day prank on a fan by making him think he won $10,000 for making a shot while blindfolded.

During halftime of the Wizards’ Wednesday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers, a fan was brought onto the court to attempt a shot from half-court. The contest is a regular sight at basketball games, but the team decided to shake things up by making the contestant wear a blindfold. For making the shot, the contestant would be returning home with an additional $10,000.

“This is the one, though,” the arena emcee said to the man as he prepared to take the shot. “Jackson, it’s all on you. This might be history if you get this done. For $10,000!”

As a drumroll played in the arena, Jackson took the shot. Shortly after, the emcee yelled “Oh my!” as he completely whiffed on the shot attempt. The mascots on the court quickly huddled around the contestant to celebrate.

The emcee then asked him if he wanted to see the shot for himself since he was blindfolded when he made it.

“You go up with it right here,” the emcee continued as she gave a breakdown of the action, “and you see how it just doesn’t– it doesn’t actually go in.”

At that moment, Jackson realized he’d been pranked as the mascots began pointing and laughing at him.

“I’m not gonna lie, sir,” the emcee told him. “I really, really hate April Fool’s Day. I’m so sorry.”

She then told the contestant that he’d receive an autographed jersey and courtside seats for next season as a consolation for the prank.

On Thursday, the Wizards released a statement clarifying that the entire ordeal was merely a skit of which the contestant was fully aware. The statement read:

We apologize for last night’s April Fools’ joke that left many wondering if we had misled a 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. Our fans are our priority, and we continue to be committed to providing a positive experience to all who attend our games.

The situation was far from the least embarrassing moment involving a half-court shot. During the 2023 season, a fan attempted a shot from the same spot for $55,000 at a Los Angeles Lakers game. It somehow ended with a serious injury that had him limping off the floor.

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