San Antonio Spurs centre Luke Kornet has asked the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming promotion of landmark Atlanta strip club Magic City at an upcoming game this month, Sports Illustrated reported.
On his Medium blog, the NBA star respectfully asks the Hawks not to go through with the promotional night when they play the Orlando Magic on March 16, saying it would cast a poor reflection on the league.
“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,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers and partners that we know and love.
“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.”
Not a great environment for women, Kornet says
Kornet didn’t criticize women who make a living in adult entertainment, but noted that such environments often expose women to abuse.
“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,” he wrote.
Kornet said others in the NBA share his concerns about a team promoting a strip club at an all-ages event.
“I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision. 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. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
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The Hawks announced the promotion last week, saying Atlanta rapper T.I. would perform and the club’s famous chicken wings would be included, along with a hoodie that fans can buy.
The collaboration is a labour of love for Jami Gertz, the principal owner of the Hawks and a filmmaker and actor. The Twister actor executive produced a five-part docuseries called Magic City: An American Fantasy, which explores the strip club’s history and its place in hip-hop and Black culture
— With files from Dan Bilicki.