NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ planned ‘Magic City’ promotion

The NBA announced Monday that the in-arena promotion that the Atlanta Hawks had planned for March 16 at State Farm Arena will be cancelled.

The Hawks announced on Feb. 26 that they would have a promotion night to celebrate Magic City, Atlanta’s premier strip club, when the Orlando Magic visited. The event was not to include dancers, and the Hawks did not mention Magic City being a gentleman’s club, calling Magic City an “iconic cultural institution” while emphasizing “the history, cultural impact, and influence” of an “Atlanta landmark.”

“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.

The league permitted the event insofar that the Hawks did not need to get approval to proceed with the announcement. But after days of feedback, including coming from San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, the NBA decided the Hawks should not go forward with their version of Magic City Monday.

“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 in a statement released Monday. “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.”

In acknowledging the NBA’s decision, the Hawks also released a statement Monday regarding the cancellation of Magic City Monday at State Farm Arena.

“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks said. “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 theme night was set to feature a special live podcast recording with Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and rapper T.I., who was also set to perform at halftime. The Hawks were set to sell a limited-edition Peachtree-themed hoodie with “Magic City” across the front in bold text. The Hawks were going to collaborate with Magic City Kitchen to serve two versions of the latter’s lemon pepper wings, a traditional version as well as the “Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ” named after Georgia-native and three-time Sixth Man of the Year award recipient Lou Williams.

In 2020, Williams had to quarantine for 10 days before returning to the NBA bubble because he was found to have been at Magic City following the funeral of Atlanta businessman Paul Williams. After the service, Williams went to get wings from Magic City. When asked about the Hawks’ promotion night, Williams told The Athletic, “That ain’t got nothing to do with me.”

The Hawks will no longer have the pregame podcast featuring Barney, T.I., and principal owner Jami Gertz, who was a driving force behind the Magic City collaboration with the Hawks due to her involvement in the five-part STARZ docuseries “Magic City: An American Fantasy”. The limited-edition hoodies will no longer be available for purchase at the Magic-Hawks game on March 16, though the Hawks will deliver pre-ordered merchandise.

But T.I. will still perform at halftime, and the Hawks will still serve wings. That does include the Louwill lemon pepper wings.