The NBA has cancelled the Atlanta Hawks’ celebration plans for the Magic City strip club. The event was supposed to take place during a match against the Orlando Magic. However, the plans for the grand promotion were eventually dropped.
NBA scraps Hawks’ Magic City strip club tribute event
The NBA has cancelled the Hawks’ Magic City Night promotion event. The team announced on February 26 that they are planning a grand night for Atlanta’s premier strip club, Magic City. This included delicious food, live music performance, and merchandise. Hawks Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor stated, “From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience.”
However, San Antonio Spurs’ Luke Kornet requested the parties to rethink the decision. He wrote in Medium that it “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community.” This is, “specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.” He continued, “We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the cancellation. He stated that after knowing about the promotions, they “reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale.” Silver continued that they “appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward.” However, “we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
Hawks responded to the decision, “While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision. As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta – with authenticity – in ways that continue to unite and bring us together.”
