Blake Griffin, Taylor Rooks
When the Atlanta Hawks announced a March 16 promotion honoring Atlanta’s famed strip club Magic City, the team leaned fully into the moment. The organization plans a themed night at State Farm Arena featuring food from the club, including its well-known lemon pepper wings, along with music and exclusive merchandise, ESPN reports. The opponent that evening? The Orlando Magic. But as the Hawks embrace the cultural institution, an earlier on-air exchange between Blake Griffin and Taylor Rooks has resurfaced and drawn fresh attention.
During an episode of “NBA on Prime,” Griffin sat alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Rooks when the conversation turned to Magic City and its influence. As discussion centered on the arena serving LouWill Lemon Pepper BBQ and traditional lemon pepper wings for the event, Rooks shared a personal anecdote, per Total Pro Sports.
“I am from Georgia, that was my first strip club experience. Good times. … You see some things in there that make you say wow,” Rooks said.
Griffin immediately responded, “Let’s do a demo.”
The remark landed awkwardly. Within minutes, social media reacted.
“HR is coming to get him after that 😂😂😂😂,” one user wrote.
“People will bring this up 3 years from now when he’s in a controversy 😂,” another added.
“she actually thinks he’s joking 😭,” someone else commented.
Hawks Lean Into Magic City Culture
The Hawks have framed the March 16 collaboration as a celebration of Atlanta’s identity. Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz, who also produced the five-part STARZ docuseries “Magic City: An American Fantasy,” emphasized the meaning behind the partnership.
“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 said. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Atlanta native T.I. will perform at halftime, and the team will host a live pregame podcast recording centered on the club’s impact on music, sports, and culture. Magic City will serve two versions of its lemon pepper wings, including the variation named after former Hawks guard Lou Williams.
T.I. summed up the city pride element simply: “We doin’ this one for the city … Magic City.”
Griffin and Rooks Set for Larger NBA Roles
Is this just the cast showing their chemistry or a true cause for concern? Rooks has a verbal agreement to serve as the lead host for the streamer’s NBA pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage under the league’s new 11-year media rights deal starting next season. Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star and the 2011 Rookie of the Year, will join Prime Video’s NBA studio show as an analyst alongside Rooks and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki.
Griffin has built a reputation for humor and sharp commentary in his post-playing career. Still, the “Let’s do a demo” line sparked debate about tone and professionalism in a studio setting.
The Hawks’ Magic City night celebrates Atlanta culture. At the same time, Griffin’s comment has sparked its own conversation about boundaries, humor, and how quickly moments travel in today’s media landscape.