NBA cancels the Atlanta Hawks' plans to celebrate the strip club Magic City

The event was supposed to happen next Monday during a game against the Orlando Magic.

Atlanta announced the plan last month, calling it a tribute to an “iconic cultural institution” with food — including the club’s lemon pepper wings, a version of which is named for former Hawks guard Lou Williams — along with music and exclusive merchandise.

“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks said Monday. “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”

Some elements of the plans for the night will remain, the Hawks said, including a halftime performance from rapper T.I. — and there are plans for lemon pepper wings to be sold.

But some plans for merchandise have been scrapped, as has a live recording of a podcast that was to feature Hawks primary owner Jami Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney.

Plans for the celebration were met with mixed reactions — some for, some against. One NBA player, Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs, spoke out about the idea of promoting a strip club and urged the parties involved to reconsider.

And the league evidently heard the same message from others.

“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “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.”

The Hawks have ties to the club. Gertz was a producer for a five-part docuseries that explored the club's history, its place in Black and hip-hop culture and what it means to the city.

“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,’” Gertz, who is also a filmmaker and actor, said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”

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