The NBA canceled the Atlanta Hawks' planned Magic City promotion after backlash from players, fans, and partners over celebrating a strip club, with Commissioner Adam Silver citing concerns for the broader league community.
The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks' planned in-arena Magic City promotion for their game on March 16.
Atlanta Hawks / Schedule
"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."
It was designed to celebrate Magic City, Atlanta's famous (and long-running) strip club/nightclub, which the Hawks called an "iconic cultural institution" tied to the city's hip-hop, music, and Black culture history.
The promotion sparked major backlash from some NBA players (e.g., Spurs' Luke Kornet wrote a public blog calling it a celebration of a strip club that objectifies women and doesn't align with league/family values; Warriors' Al Horford publicly agreed).
Despite the Hawks initially refusing to cancel, the NBA stepped in and abruptly canceled the entire promotion today (March 9).
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