San Antonio Spurs centre Luke Kornet has criticised the Atlanta Hawks for planning a theme night with Magic City, a well-known strip club in Atlanta. The Hawks announced the event for their game against the Orlando Magic on 16 March, featuring a performance by rapper TI and the sale of Magic City's signature wings and branded merchandise.
Kornet, a devout Catholic, expressed his disapproval in a Medium post, stating that the collaboration 'would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.' He noted that the Hawks' press release praised Magic City as an 'iconic cultural institution' but omitted that it is a strip club.
The Hawks defended the partnership, highlighting Magic City's role in hip-hop and Black culture. However, Kornet argued that the event is inappropriate for NBA fans of all ages, saying, 'The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.'
