Sorry: Wizards say blindfold prank was a bit shortsighted

Field Level Media|published: Thu 2nd April, 16:17 2026

Jan 2, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; General view of ball on the court during the third quarter of the game between the Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images

No joke.

The Washington Wizards have apologized for an April Fool's Day gag on Wednesday that, as it turned out, attempted to spoof the entire arena.

In what appeared to be a prank on a participant in a half-court shot promotion, the team has now revealed that the contestant was in on the misdirection that left some fans rolling their eyes.

The long-shot contestant was blindfolded and left to launch a half-court shot for $10,000 that ended up well wide of the backboard. That is when the prank unfolded as mascots and on-court personnel pretended that the shot went in the hoop as the contestant was handed an oversized check for $10K.

It apparently was all just performance art, and the long-distance shooter was aware of the shenanigans all along. The crowd of 17,956 was actually being misled.

"We apologize for last night's April Fool's joke that left many wondering if we had misled a fan," The Wizards said in a statement Thursday. "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."

It was a bold move for a franchise that has gone an NBA-worst 17-59 this season, including just 11 victories in 38 home games.

"Our fans are our priority, and we continue to be committed to providing a positive experience to all who attend our games," the statement concluded.

--Field Level Media

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