Boston Celtics
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.”
Former Celtic center Luke Kornet is taking umbrage with one of the Atlanta Hawks’ upcoming promotional nights.
Kornet — who now plays for the San Antonio Spurs — took to his own Medium blog to ask the Hawks to reconsider their “Magic City Night” promo for their game against the Orlando Magic on March 16.
Magic City is a popular strip club in Atlanta that has also gained notoriety for its link to the city’s entertainment and music scene — as well as its chicken wings.
During the press release announcing the promotion, the Hawks labeled Magic City as an “iconic cultural institution.”
In his blog post, titled “Concerning the Atlanta Hawks,” Kornet objected to the fact that the Hawks’ press release did not mention that Magic City was a strip club.
“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 wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.
“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.”
As part of the promotion, Atlanta-based rapper T.I. is set to perform at the Hawks’ State Farm Arena for the March 16 game. Magic City’s lemon pepper wings, the Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ — named after former NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner Lou Williams — will also be served during the game.
In closing, Kornet stressed that both the Hawks and NBA should rethink the promotion before the game is held.
“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,” Kornet wrote. “I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision. We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience.
“The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision. Please join me in petitioning the Atlanta Hawks to cancel this promotion so as to ensure that the NBA remains a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone involved.”
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