An NBA player is urging the Atlanta Hawks to rethink a promotion that gives a wink to one of the city's most famous strip clubs, the Los Angeles Times reports. San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet published a statement on Medium asking the team to scrap its "Magic City Monday" event, tied to Monday's game against the Orlando Magic and named for Atlanta's Magic City adult entertainment club. Kornet argued the league should remain "a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone involved" and said NBA teams should be held to "a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting."
The Hawks announced the promotion last week, featuring a performance by Atlanta rapper T.I., a collaborative hoodie for sale, and a menu that includes Magic City's famous lemon-pepper wings, popularized by former Hawk Lou Williams, Sports Illustrated reports. Kornet wrote that allowing the night to proceed "without protest" risks complicity in the "potential objectification and mistreatment of women," and said celebrating a strip club is not consistent with creating a family-friendly arena where fans of all ages can enjoy the game. He also noted that the Hawks promoted the event as celebrating an "iconic cultural institution" while failing to acknowledge that institution is a strip club, USA Today reports. The Hawks have not publicly responded to his request.