San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet has asked the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming “Magic City Night” promotion, saying the event honoring the well-known Atlanta strip club disrespects women and sends the wrong message.
In a letter posted to Medium, the 30-year-old Kornet urged the Hawks to scrap the night, which celebrates Magic City as a “cultural institution” with appearances by local rapper T.I., the club’s signature chicken wings and exclusive merchandise including a Hawks x Magic City hoodie available for preorder.
“I would like to respectfully ask that the Atlanta Hawks cancel this promotional night with Magic City,” Kornet wrote.
Kornet, now in his eighth NBA season after time with the Boston Celtics and other teams, argued the NBA should “protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world.”
“We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love,” he added.
Kornet contended that partnering with Magic City risks making the league “complicit in the objectification and mistreatment of women.” He noted that many women in the adult entertainment industry face abuse, harassment and violence.
“The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision” of a safe environment for fans of all ages, he wrote.
The Hawks announced the promotion on social media without explicitly calling Magic City a strip club, instead focusing on its place in Atlanta culture. An embedded tweet promoted the limited-edition hoodie.
Kornet said he believes others around the league were “dumbfounded” by the decision and called on the remaining 29 NBA teams to hold the Hawks accountable.
The Hawks have not publicly responded to Kornet’s letter as of Monday morning. The date of the planned “Magic City Night” has not been specified in team announcements.
Kornet has played in 48 games this season for the Spurs, averaging modest minutes as a backup big man.
Flip the pages for the Magic City dancers if that is all you were here for.
