Spurs center wants Atlanta Hawks to call off ‘Magic City Monday’ promo
At least one NBA player is objecting to the Atlanta Hawks paying homage to the popular adult entertainment club Magic City during their Monday game against the Orlando Magic.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet released a statement on Medium asking the Hawks to cancel the promotion “to ensure the NBA remains a safe, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone involved.”
“The NBA should desire to protect and value women, many of whom work diligently every day to make it the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We must promote a protective and respectful atmosphere toward the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers and partners we know and love.
“Allowing this evening to proceed without protest would reflect badly on us as an NBA community, particularly in being complicit in the objectification and potential mistreatment of women in our society. Regardless of how a woman makes her way in the adult entertainment industry, many in this space are victims of abuse, harassment and violence that they should never be subjected to.”
The Hawks announced their “Magic City Monday” promotion last week. Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer on the documentary series “Magic City: An American Fantasy” that aired last year on Starz. Atlanta-based artist TI will perform at halftime. A collaborative hoodie will be available for purchase and some of the club’s well-known wings will be served, including lemon-pepper wings named in honor of former Hawks player Lou Williams.
In 2020, while playing for the Clippers during the pandemic, Williams made headlines for visiting Magic City during an excused absence for personal reasons to return home to Atlanta. The NBA was finishing its season in a so-called bubble in Orlando intended to protect against COVID-19. Williams said he was at the club just to get some food.
In expressing his objection to the promotion, Kornet emphasized that NBA teams should be held “to a higher standard of what they deem worthy of promotion.”
“I and others in the league were surprised and opposed to the Hawks’ decision,” Kornet wrote. “We want to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities with a clear conscience. Celebrating a strip club is not conduct consistent with this vision.”
