You can’t talk about nightlife in Atlanta without mentioning Magic City, the popular strip club that was founded in 1985.
The high-end and luxurious adult entertainment establishment attracts several customers and superstar celebrities, including rappers/singers, athletes, influencers, among others. The establishment is so popular within the entertainment and hip hop community that it has been mentioned by several rappers in their songs.
Despite having a section of people who enjoy and patronize their services, some critics argue that places of such nature rather objectify the women who work there as strippers.
In an effort to celebrate Magic City as a cultural institution in Atlanta, the Atlanta Hawks announced a collaborative “Magic City Monday” promotional night scheduled for March 16. The Hawks, in a statement, explained that it is a “special one-night collaboration to celebrate the city’s iconic cultural institution Magic City during the team’s home game against Orlando on Monday, March 16.”
But following the announcement, San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet registered his displeasure with the collaboration, arguing that the NBA has to “desire to protect and esteem women.” Kornet, 30, also argued that allowing the “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.”
Al Horford, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors and was teammates with Kornet at the Boston Celtics, sided with the 30-year-old’s sentiments. But on his The Draymond Green Show podcast, Horford’s current teammate, Draymond Green, explained why he felt the backlash from Kornet was unjustified.
“I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work they chose, I actually think is less protective of women because you’re condemning something – it’s actually an art,” Green, 36, explained, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art – that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in,” he added. “But to say that because a woman decides that that’s the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective on society’s thoughts and how they once view things.”
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Though Kornet suggested that adult entertainment rather objectifies women, Green explained that Magic City and other venues of such nature rather affords workers the platform to showcase their art. The four-time NBA champion also made mention of rapper Cardi B, who was once a stripper, to buttress his point.
“[Cardi B is] selling out stadiums and her background would be that,” Green said. “I don’t think Cardi B has esteem issues. So, I think that’s actually a negative vantage point on these women that are in this line of work; that because they choose this line of work that they have esteem issues.
“I actually wholeheartedly disagree.”
Despite the moral principles surrounding adult entertainment, Green emphasized that Atlanta’s culture and Magic City are indispensably linked, NBC Sports Bay Area reported.
“To say that a huge part of Atlanta culture reflects poorly on the NBA as a community, I completely disagree because the NBA as a community is a very inclusive community,” Green highlighted. “So why this particular night is bad for the community, I don’t quite understand it in a very inclusive community.”
Green welcomed the collaboration on the grounds that the NBA, under its inclusive endeavors, is casting a spotlight on something that is a part of Atlanta’s culture.
“I respect how Luke Kornet feels. I respect that he made his feelings known, but I disagree with them wholeheartedly,” said the 36-year-old.
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