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An NBA player has excepted an Atlanta Hawks promotional night, which is a nod to a famous strip club in the city.
The Hawks have “Magic City Night” scheduled for March 16 against the Orlando Magic, but a player for neither team is too happy to pay tribute to a strip club that has been famous for its stories on the night involving athletes, celebrities and more.
While the Hawks are calling it an ode to a “cultural institution,” San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet shared his displeasure in a letter posted on Medium.
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Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs reaches for the ball in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Kornet, a nine-year veteran and 2024 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics, called for the Hawks’ promotional night later this month to be canceled, saying it’s disrespectful to women to honor the strip club.
“In its press release, the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this location is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’ In view of this fact, I would respectfully ask the Atlanta Hawks to cancel this promotional night with Magic City,” Kornet wrote in his post.
“The NBA should want to protect and value women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world. We should foster an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers and partners that we know and love.”
The Hawks boasted about the theme night in their press release, including a live performance by famed Atlanta rapper TI, a limited-edition co-branded hoodie and even the establishment’s “world-famous” lemon-pepper chicken wings in the arena.
A general view of signage with the State Farm Arena logo on November 14, 2025 outside the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,'” Hawks principal owner, filmmaker and actor Jami Gertz said in a press release. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Kornet wrote that allowing the night to continue “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 community.”
Kornet wrote that “others around the league” were surprised by the Hawks’ decision to hold this promotional night.
“We want to create an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the community’s history and culture with a clear conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not behavior consistent with that vision,” he wrote.
Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs defends against the Charlotte Hornets during their game at Spectrum Center on January 31, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
The Hawks have seen a good reception for the promotional night, as Tick Pick reported that a starting price was initially $10 for the game and has since increased to $94.
Kornet is in his first season with the Spurs, his sixth NBA team, where he has played mostly in a bench role. He is averaging 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. battle across 50 competitions.
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