The Atlanta Hawks planned a tribute to a strip club, and the NBA office ultimately stepped in to block it.
AP and other outlets reported March 10 (Korean time) that the league canceled the Hawks' planned \"Magic City Night\" event.
The Hawks had scheduled the event for their March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic. Framed as an homage to a local cultural institution, the team lined up food — including the club's signature lemon pepper wings — live music and special merchandise. The menu even featured a version named after guard Lou Williams, who once played in Atlanta.
The issue was that the \"institution\" the Hawks intended to honor was Magic City, a strip club. That raised concerns around the league, and the NBA moved to cancel the event.
Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement: \"After learning of the Hawks' plans, we spoke with team officials to review the details. We understand the team's intent, but we received concerns from league stakeholders — fans, partners and employees. Given those concerns, we believe canceling the event is the right decision for the league community.\"
The Hawks issued a statement saying, \"We are deeply disappointed by this decision, but we fully respect the league office's ruling. Our organization remains committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta in a sincere way and bringing people together.\"
The team added that rapper T.I.'s halftime performance and the sale of lemon pepper wings will proceed as planned.
However, some planned merchandise sales and a live podcast recording that would have included Hawks owner Jami Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Vanny were canceled.
AP noted a close connection between the Hawks and Magic City, reporting that Hawks owner Jami Gertz produced a five-part documentary series exploring the club's history, its role in Black and hip-hop culture, and its significance to Atlanta.
[Phoenix, U.S. = Kim Jae-ho, MK Sports correspondent]
