NBA Forces Atlanta Hawks To Cancel Magic City Night

Atlanta Hawks v Detroit Pistons — Source: Nic Antaya / Getty

The Atlanta Hawks’ Magic City Night has officially been canceled.

The news comes a week before the game against the Orlando Magic, which was set to go down next Monday, March 16.

The decision comes from Commissioner Adam Silver, whose statement suggests that the NBA brass weren’t aware of the event before it was scheduled, prompting them to explore the decision.

“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” Silver’s statement begins.

But he concludes that no rationale could be found, as critics got louder.

“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,” his statement reads. “I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”

The Hawks have released the following statement concerning the cancellation.

“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” it reads. “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.”

The caption adds that T.I. will still perform at halftime, but the limited-edition Peachtree-themed hoodie will no longer be available, and the live recording of the Hawks AF Podcast has been canceled.

Last week, the Hawks announced that they’d have a night dedicated to the gentleman’s club, because of what it means to the city, as well as the team’s owner, Jami Gertz, producing a five-part docuseries. Even the chefs from Magic City were going to be serving their famous wings.

But the critics were swift with critiques, unsure if it was appropriate to embrace strip club culture at a family-friendly event.

The frontrunner in canceling the event was San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, who penned an open letter.

“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,” he wrote.

Al Horford would later retweet his message in a show of support.

See social media’s reaction now that it’s been canceled below.