Atlanta Hawks’ promotion of local strip club questioned by veteran NBA player

A veteran NBA player is speaking out against a controversial partnership between the Atlanta Hawks and a local strip club, saying it undermines the league’s values and – more significantly – objectifies women.

Center Luke Kornet is a nine-year NBA veteran who has played for six teams, having won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics during the 2023-24 season before signing with the Sacramento Kings, where he is currently averaging 7.1 points and 6.5 rebounds – both career highs.

Kornet has never played for the Hawks but felt compelled to speak out, perhaps motivated by his faith. A devout Catholic, he authors a blog titled Don’t Pass the Rock, where he writes about the churches he visits while traveling the NBA circuit.

The Atlanta Hawks last week announced a “Magic City Monday” promotion for their March 16 game with the Orlando Magic, saying in a news release the special occasion celebrates the “city’s iconic cultural institution” known as Magic City – complete with special “Magic City” merchandise sold online and in the arena. Magic City is a prominent Atlanta strip club that was the subject of a five-part STARZ docuseries, Magic City: An American Fantasy.

DJ Esco, the strip club’s resident DJ on Mondays, will play music during the pregame that night. Further, the Hawks are inviting fans to enter the arena early for a live podcast recording in which the founder of Magic City, along with others, will discuss the docuseries and the “impact of the club on Atlanta music, sports, and culture.”

Jami Gertz, the Hawks’ principal owner, produced the STARZ project.

“In its press release the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club,’” Kornet wrote in a Medium blog. “Given this fact, I would like to respectfully ask that the Atlanta Hawks cancel this promotional night with Magic City.

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

Indeed, nowhere in the Hawks’ messaging – not in its 600-word press release nor in its social media posts – is Magic City identified as a strip club.

“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,” Kornet wrote. “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.

“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 added that he and “others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision.” A version of his column ran this week in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“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,” he wrote. “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.”