On Monday, the NBA announced that it had canceled the Atlanta Hawks’ planned in-arena promotion for their game on March 16 against the Magic, which was dedicated to Magic City, a strip club in Atlanta.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued the following statement:
“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 canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
The Hawks responded with a statement of their own.
“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully 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.”
Last year, Magic City celebrated 40 years with a five-part STARZ docuseries, ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy’ produced by Hawks’ Principal Owner, filmmaker and actor Jami Gertz and GRAMMY Award-winning music mogul and Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri. The series explores the history, cultural impact and influence of the Atlanta landmark and features interviews with Big Boi, Killer Mike and T.I. and others and reveals its pivotal role in hip-hop and Black culture.
The NBA made the right decision here. While Magic City has been an Atlanta staple for many years, there are still many children who attend NBA games, so the league would send the wrong message if it allowed this promotion to go forward.
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