The NBA has canceled the Atlanta Hawks’ “Magic City Monday,” which was set for next week, after some NBA players raised concerns about having a promotional themed night celebrating a strip club.
The Hawks were set to honor one of Atlanta’s “iconic cultural institutions” with special food, merchandise, and a halftime performance by Atlanta rapper T.I. for their matchup against the Orlando Magic next week, per a team release.
But San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet voiced concerns about having a night that brings attention to Magic City, the historic strip club in Atlanta, calling the move a poor decision.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love…we desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
Related: NBA Team To Honor Strip Club During International Women’s Month
Warriors center Al Horford, who played for years for the Hawks, also pushed back against “Magic City Monday,” saying he agreed with Kornet’s assessment of the evening not creating an environment for fans of all ages — and the league agrees.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/jzbUW8t73Y
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 9, 2026
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement on Monday: “When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale. 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 cancelling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
“Magic City Monday” was scheduled for the Hawks on March 16.
“The Hawks have worked with Magic City to bring the ‘best of’ the phenomena for fans in attendance at the award-winning State Farm Arena,” the announcement for the promotional night read.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, true to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” said Hawks Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor.
Atlanta’s NBA team responded to the cancellation in a statement Monday evening on X.
“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we full respect its decision. 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.”
The Hawks never referred to Magic City as a strip club, though the widely-known entertainment space has been known for that since the 80s; instead, the organization planned to focus on other aspects of the club, including its lemon pepper wings that were set to be a special menu item for the March 16 game.
There is no word on if famed rapper T.I. is still set to perform, despite the promotion being called off.
The tip-off for the Hawks and Magic is set for next Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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