The very easy answer to the titled question of this piece is a resounding yes from me. But you’re reading to know exactly why I feel this way, and boy, will I take pleasure in telling you. The Atlanta Hawks planned to celebrate Atlanta culture on Monday with Magic City Night. It was to be a night where the culture of the popular gentleman’s establishment would be celebrated for its contributions to the city of Atlanta. And the Hawks would’ve gotten away with it if it weren’t for that meddling Luke Kornet of the San Antonio Spurs.
A history lesson
It may seem jocular to most that a strip club would have the cultural stamp that Magic City does, but it’s no laughing matter. They set a standard for how to run an adult entertainment establishment in a contemporary era. So, their influence spans not only culture, but business, and well, even cuisine. Cuisine was going to be and may still be a key aspect of Monday night’s game.
The Hawks were to showcase Magic City’s famed chicken wings at the game with two flavors. Lemon pepper and “LouWill” lemon pepper wings were going to be highlighted options for those in attendance, with the latter being named after former NBA player and legendary patron Lou Williams.
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He doesn’t even go here
What was to be expected to be a fun and unique night took a turn when Kornet of the Spurs voiced concerns over the stigma of strip clubs being “promoted” at NBA games. Not only was it disheartening to hear someone express dismay over a history they clearly aren’t familiar with. But for a white man to have the audacity to think his opinion should matter in this case is even more egregious, and quite frankly, very American. So, Kornet has been catching strays from all of the NBA notable pundits and former players. Even with the co-sign of resident party pooper Al Horford, it’s Kornet who continues to be the emblem for the cancellation of this event.
A great conversation developed as a result of his commentary, though. Why is Magic City’s form of entertainment unsavory to the NBA when they’re now in the world of gambling heavily? Somehow, the Hawks honoring a local business staple would create some sort of slippery slope? I mean, there’s no strippers planning to strip at halftime on Monday night. There will still be a performance by T.I. But it was a night for Atlanta to come out, have fans buy their Magic City Hawks hoodies, and enjoy some chicken wings. But when people like Kornet only view these establishments in a perverse fashion, it clearly shows you know nothing about them in Atlanta.
He isn’t aware that people will literally go to the club just for the food. Lou Williams was suspended during the NBA bubble in 2020 for doing so without getting clearance from the NBA. Kornet isn’t aware that artists in the south break music in strip clubs—that’s how they got an idea of how their music would translate to consumers. It gave them an idea if they had a hit on their hands. So, Magic City as an institution is just that. The way he decided to dumb it down to something totally different, I believe, there were no grounds for.
What this ultimately comes down to is that the NBA doesn’t gain anything monetarily from having Magic City Mondays. But they gain a hell of a lot by being involved with these sports books. So, when we speak of false equivalencies, there’s one for you right there. It is my heart’s desire that Kornet gets booed in every arena in this country outside of San Antonio, every single night. This is tattle-tell behavior that we haven’t seen since the days of ABC’s TGIF. He should be ashamed. Thankfully, the wings will still be available Monday night. But so should those hoodies.