The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks’ planned “Magic City Night” promotional event, Commissioner Adam Silver announced Sunday.
The theme night, scheduled for March 16 at State Farm Arena during the Hawks’ home game against the Orlando Magic, was intended to celebrate Magic City — an iconic Atlanta strip club often referenced in hip-hop culture — with themed food including the venue’s famous lemon pepper wings, exclusive merchandise, a performance and conversation with rapper T.I., and other cultural nods. The Hawks had described it as a one-night collaboration honoring a “cultural institution” with significant impact on the city’s unique identity.
The promotion drew swift backlash after its announcement earlier this month. San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet publicly called for its cancellation in a statement on Medium, arguing that the Hawks’ framing failed to acknowledge Magic City’s nature as “Atlanta’s premier strip club.” Kornet urged the team to scrap the event, writing that the NBA “should desire to protect and esteem women” and promote an atmosphere respectful of “daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners.” He added that proceeding would make the league “complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
Other voices, including media personalities and fans, expressed divided opinions, with some defending the event as a reflection of Atlanta’s local culture and others criticizing it as inappropriate for an NBA setting. The Hawks initially stood by the promotion, refusing calls to cancel.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement:
“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.”
