The NBA moved to nix the Hawks’ planned “Magic City Night” promotion against the Orlando Magic after concerns — most notably from Spurs big man Luke Kornet — about linking the event to Atlanta’s famous strip club.
The NBA has cancelled the Atlanta Hawks' collaboration with Magic City, a local strip club, ending what would have been a first-of-its-kind promotional night in professional basketball.
Last month, the Hawks announced their highly-anticipated match against the Orlando Magic on March 16, describing it as "a one-night collaboration to celebrate the city's iconic cultural institution".
Commissioner Adam Silver said that the league had scrapped the Hawks' planned "Magic City Monday" promotion, calling it "the right decision for the broader NBA community."
"When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks' scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale," Silver said in a statement on Monday.
"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," he added.
The unusual partnership raised eyebrows across the league before Silver stepped in to halt the promotion.
The backlash began when San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet published an open letter calling on the NBA to cancel the night, noting the Hawks had quietly left out the fact that Magic City is, as it bills itself, "Atlanta's premier strip club."
Kornet's letter garnered support from his former Celtics teammate Al Horford, who plays for the Golden State Warriors but began his career at the Hawks, sharing the letter on X.
However, not everyone was opposed.
Lou Williams, the former Hawks guard who inadvertently made Magic City famous nationwide after sneaking out of the NBA's COVID bubble in 2020 on a wing run, earning him the nickname "Lemon Pepper Lou", said he was in favour of the promotion, while acknowledging some people "won't understand it."
The Hawks had even planned to honour the moment with a "Lou Will Lemon Pepper BBQ" flavour on the menu at State Farm Arena.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters)