NBA Cancels Atlanta Hawks' "Magic Monday" Promotion Tied to Strip Club
Authored by sportsite777.com, Mar 10, 2026
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the league's decision to cancel the Atlanta Hawks' planned "Magic Monday" promotion ahead of their home game against the Orlando Magic. The promotion was set to reference Atlanta's Magic City strip club, known for its lemon pepper wings.[1][2][4]
Silver stated the league intervened after becoming aware of the promotion. "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. "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."[1][2]
The Atlanta Hawks, an NBA franchise based in Atlanta competing in the Eastern Conference, issued a statement expressing disappointment but respect for the decision. "While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision," the team 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."[1][3]
The controversy was sparked by a blog post from San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, who urged reconsideration of the event. Kornet argued it could promote objectification of women and called for an environment respectful of families. He noted surprise among others in the league.[1]
Magic City is an Atlanta strip club frequently referenced in hip-hop culture and noted for popularizing lemon pepper wet wings.[4][5]
The game is scheduled at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the Hawks' home venue since 2019.[3][6]
Sources
- Fox News, "NBA steps in to cancel the Atlanta Hawks’ 'Magic Monday' promotion", March 2026 (approximate), https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- ESPN, NBA news coverage (Silver statement), March 2026 (approximate), https://www.espn.com/nba/
- NBA.com Hawks, Official team site and statements, accessed October 2024, https://www.nba.com/hawks
- Wikipedia, "Magic City (strip club)", accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_City_(strip_club)
- Eater Atlanta, "The Magic City Strip Club's Lemon Pepper Wings", 2019-08-21, https://atlanta.eater.com/2019/8/21/20803789/magic-city-atlanta-lemon-pepper-wings-history