League commissioner Adam Silver says he had ‘heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees’ about the event
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Jonathan Kuminga of the Atalanta Hawksopen image in gallery
Jonathan Kuminga of the Atalanta Hawks (Getty Images)
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The NBA has cancelled the Atlanta Hawks' planned collaboration with Magic City, a local strip club, ending what would have been professional basketball's first such promotional night.
The Hawks had announced the event for a match against the Orlando Magic, describing it as "a one-night collaboration to celebrate the city's iconic cultural institution".
Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the league scrapped the "Magic City Monday" promotion, calling it "the right decision for the broader NBA community."
In a Monday statement, Silver explained: "When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks' scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale." He added the league had "heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees."
Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landaleopen image in gallery
Atlanta Hawks center Jock Landale (Getty)
The unusual partnership had already "raised eyebrows across the league" before the Commissioner's intervention.
Backlash intensified after San Antonio Spurs centre Luke Kornet published an open letter urging the NBA to cancel the event.
Kornet highlighted the Hawks had "quietly left out the fact that Magic City is, as it bills itself, 'Atlanta's premier strip club'." His call was supported by former Celtics teammate Al Horford, now with the Golden State Warriors, who shared the letter on X.
However, the promotion was not universally welcomed. Lou Williams, a former Hawks guard nicknamed "Lemon Pepper Lou" after a 2020 incident involving Magic City during the NBA's Covid bubble, expressed support, acknowledging some "won't understand it."
The Hawks had even planned to commemorate Williams' connection with a "Lou Will Lemon Pepper BBQ" flavour on the menu at State Farm Arena.