NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ strip club collaboration
Popular adult entertainment club Magic City will not be featured at the Atlanta Hawks’ promotional night next week, the NBA announced Monday.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged the concerns of others in the league on Monday, saying his decision to cancel the collaboration was in the best interest of the “broader NBA community.”
“While we appreciate the team’s perspective and desire to move forward,” he said in a statement, “we have heard significant concerns from a wide range of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees.”
The Hawks announced their “Magic City Monday” promotion in late February, featuring a halftime performance by Atlanta-based artist TI, a collaborative hoodie and the offering of some of the club’s popular wings, including the lemon-pepper variety named after former Hawks player Lou Williams.
Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer on “Magic City: An American Fantasy,” a documentary series that aired on Starz. Still, the team’s decision to collaborate with the Atlanta strip club ruffled some NBA feathers.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet called on the Hawks to cancel the promotional night in a post on Medium last week, saying it would “reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, particularly in being complicit in the objectification and potential mistreatment of women in our society.”
Others have argued that Magic City is an integral part of Atlanta’s culture and should be celebrated as such.
The Hawks wrote in a statement Monday that they were disappointed with the NBA’s decision but would respect it.
Rapper TI will still perform at halftime, but the live taping of the Hawks AF podcast featuring Gertz, TI and Magic City founder Michael Barney has been canceled. Fans who pre-ordered the collab hoodie will still receive one, but the sweatshirts will not be available for purchase at the game, the Hawks wrote on X.
“As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta – with authenticity – in a way that continues to unite and bring us all together,” the Hawks wrote.
Times Staff Writer Chuck Schilken contributed to this report.
