NBA cancels Atlanta Hawks’ ‘Magic City Monday’ promotion

ATLANTA — The only Magic at the Atlanta Hawks’ upcoming NBA game on March 16 will be their opponents from Orlando.

The league announced Monday that it is canceling the Hawks’ planned promotion for Magic City, an Atlanta strip club.

“Magic City Monday” was supposed to be a collaboration between the Hawks and the city’s popular adult entertainment venue, WSB-TV reported.

The promotion, which was supposed to coincide with the Hawks’ game against the Orlando Magic, was going to include the club’s lemon pepper wings, with one version named for former Hawks guard Lou Williams, ESPN reported. It was also to showcase custom merchandise and a halftime performance from Atlanta rapper T.I, according to WSB.

No dancers from the club were scheduled to be part of the promotion at State Farm Arena, The Athletic reported.

The Hawks did not mention that Magic City was a “gentleman’s club,” instead referring to it as an “iconic cultural institution,” according to the sports website. The team also said the venue was an “Atlanta landmark” and emphasized its “history, cultural impact, and influence” as an “Atlanta landmark.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that canceling the promotion was the right decision for “the broader NBA community.”

“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” Silver said in a statement. “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.”

In a statement, the Hawks said they were “very disappointed” by the NBA’s decision but respected it.

“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 team said.

The Hawks said T.I. will still perform as planned, and the wings will still be available, as usual, at State Farm Arena, WSB reported.

However, a live recording of a podcast was canceled, according to the television station. It was to feature Hawks primary owner Jami Gertz, T.I. and Magic City founder Michael Barney, ESPN reported.

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