Spurs Player Urges Hawks to Cancel 'Magic City Monday' Promotion

Luke Kornet calls on Atlanta to rethink honoring local strip club during NBA game.

Mar. 2, 2026 at 1:23pm

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San Antonio Spurs backup center Luke Kornet has written a blog post urging the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming 'Magic City Monday' promotion, which is set to honor a local Atlanta strip club during a March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic. Kornet argues the promotion would reflect poorly on the NBA and potentially objectify and mistreat women.

Why it matters

The Hawks' decision to honor Magic City, a well-known Atlanta strip club, during an NBA game has drawn criticism from players like Kornet who believe the league should aim to create an environment that is 'protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners' of fans and the basketball community.

The details

The Hawks announced last week that their March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic will feature a 'Magic City Monday' promotion, including a halftime performance from rapper T.I. Kornet, who does not play the Hawks this season, wrote a blog post on Medium asking the league and Hawks to cancel the promotion, arguing it would reflect poorly on the NBA and potentially objectify women.

  • The Hawks announced the 'Magic City Monday' promotion last week.
  • The game against the Orlando Magic is scheduled for March 16, 2026.

The players

Luke Kornet

A backup center for the San Antonio Spurs who has spoken out against the Hawks' planned 'Magic City Monday' promotion.

Atlanta Hawks

The NBA team that announced plans for a 'Magic City Monday' promotion during a March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic.

T.I.

The legendary rapper scheduled to perform at halftime of the Hawks' 'Magic City Monday' game.

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What they’re saying

“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. We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”

— Luke Kornet, Spurs Backup Center

“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.”

— Luke Kornet, Spurs Backup Center

What’s next

The NBA and Atlanta Hawks will decide whether to proceed with or cancel the 'Magic City Monday' promotion in the coming days.

The takeaway

This controversy highlights the ongoing debate around how professional sports leagues should balance honoring local culture and communities while also upholding values of respect and decency, especially when it comes to the treatment of women.