The NBA Has Canceled Atlanta Hawks' Magic City Promotion

The Atlanta Hawks-Magic City promotion will not proceed as planned.

Last week, the Hawks went viral when they announced they would be partnering with the legendary Atlanta hotspot.

“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’” Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz said. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”

NBA player Luke Kornett objected to the promotion because he felt the league partnering with a strip club was disrespectful to women.

“This week the Atlanta Hawks “announced a special one-night collaboration to celebrate the city’s iconic cultural institution Magic City” during the team’s home game against Orlando on Monday, March 16. In its press release the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, “Atlanta’s premier strip club.”

“Given this fact, I would like to respectfully ask that the Atlanta Hawks cancel this promotional night with Magic City.The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world.”

It seems like the NBA agrees with Kornet’s sentiments. On Monday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced he was ending the Hawks’ Magic City promotion.

“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale. While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, 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.”