NBA steps in and cancels Atlanta Hawks ‘Magic City Monday’ night
TheGrio...
The themed night, an ode to the popular Atlanta gentleman’s club, was set to feature a collaborative Peachtree hoodie, a live performance from T.I., specialty wings and a podcast recording. Now the Hawks have adjusted plans.
Magic City Monday is not happening at the Atlanta Hawks‘ home arena.
The planned promotion, which was set to celebrate the “Atlanta cultural institution,” was scrapped by the NBA on Monday (Mar. 9), one week before it was set to take place.
“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. “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 themed night included specialty wings from the Magic City kitchen, a collaborative hoodie, a live halftime performance from T.I. and a recording of the Hawks AF official podcast featuring T.I., DC YoungFly and Magic City founder Michael “Magic” Barney. Following the announcement that the promotion was cancelled, the Hawks confirmed that fans who pre-ordered the hoodies would still receive them, as well as the wings, but there would be no podcast recording.
“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 Monday. “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.”
— Atlanta HaWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 9, 2026
None of the promotional materials for the night mentioned the dancers of Magic City or that it was an adult entertainment venue. Jami Gertz, principal owner of the Hawks, has a tie-in with the club as he produced “Magic City: An American Fantasy,” a five-part docuseries that explored the club’s connection to hip-hop and the city at large.
Several NBA players voiced concerns about the idea of a “Magic City Monday” type promotion. San Antonio Spurs player Luke Kornet wrote a letter addressing those concerns, ones that former Atlanta Hawks player Al Horford echoed.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet’s letter read. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”
He added, “Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society. Regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence to which they should never be subjected. I’d like to encourage the league, its owners, employees and fans to hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting.”