NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ ‘Magic City Monday’ promotion after backlash surrounding strip club advertising

After public backlash, the NBA has canceled an upcoming promotion from the Atlanta Hawks centered around a notable Atlanta strip club.

The collaboration was called “Magic City Monday” and was scheduled for March 16, when the Hawks hosted the Orlando Magic.

In a statement released by the NBA Communications account, the league announced that the promotion had been canceled in collaboration with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Hawks leadership.

Silver said the cancellation followed “concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders.”

The Hawks later responded, saying they were “very disappointed” in the league’s decision. They said they would remain committed to celebrating the “best of Atlanta” going forward.

The “Magic City Night” promotion was first announced on Feb. 26, when the Hawks released a statement via the NBA website.

In the statement, they called Magic City an “iconic cultural institution,” promising a performance from rapper T.I., Magic City–branded Hawks merchandise, and the Magic City Kitchen’s “world-famous” chicken wings.

Links to the NBA’s promotional merchandise for Magic City Night have also been removed.

The cancellation follows strong social media discourse over the promotion, with many arguing both for and against allowing it to continue as planned.

Perhaps the most outspoken critic of Magic City Night was San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, who released a lengthy statement expressing his disapproval.

In the statement, Kornet acknowledged that the Hawks avoided calling Magic City “Atlanta’s premier strip club” — a name the business says proudly.

He also said that the NBA should seek to “protect women.”

“We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love,” Kornet’s statement read. “Regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence to which they should never be subjected.”

You can read Kornet’s full statement here.

Other NBA players defended the promotion.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said erotic dancing should be viewed as an expression of art rather than disrespect.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art,” Green said. “I think that’s actually a negative vantage point on these women who are in this line of work; that because they choose this line of work, they have esteem issues.”

You can read Green’s full statement here.

The Hawks also confirmed that many of the game’s previously scheduled events, including T.I.’s halftime performance, would continue as planned.