Luke Kornet
Credit: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty; Atlanta Hawks/X
NEED TO KNOW
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet is speaking out about an upcoming Atlanta Hawks promotion
Kornet is urging fans to petition the franchise to cancel “Magic City Monday,” which will celebrate an Atlanta-area strip club
Golden State Warriors star Al Horford has endorsed Kornet’s stance
Luke Kornet is not a fan of an upcoming Atlanta Hawks promotion tied to an adult entertainment venue.
The San Antonio Spurs center is speaking up on the eve of the Hawks’ “Magic City Monday,” in which the team will host a one-night celebration of the strip club, which it calls an “iconic Atlanta institution,” during its March 16 game against the Orlando Magic.
“In its press release, the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club,’ ” Kornet, 30, wrote on Medium on Monday, March 2. “Given this fact, I would like to respectfully ask that the Atlanta Hawks cancel this promotional night with Magic City.”
Kornet continued, “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.”
The Vanderbilt alum added that allowing the promotion to go forward would reflect poorly on the league and that all involved would be “complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
“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,” Kornet wrote, asking readers to petition the franchise to cancel the promotion.
Luke Kornet
Credit: Jacob Kupferman/Getty
The event has roots with the franchise’s principal owner and actress Jami Gertz, who recently produced a five-part STARZ docuseries about Magic City. The doc features Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri and interviews with Big Boi, Killer Mike and T.I., according to USA Today.
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ’Magic City: An American Fantasy’, ” Gertz said in a press release announcing the event. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Before the game on the 16th, Hawks fans will be able to arrive early to State Farm Arena for a live recording of Gertz’s Hawks AF podcast, which will feature a conversation about the impact of the club on Atlanta music, sports and culture and will include a special appearance by T.I., according to the release.
Amid Kornet’s pushback, a spokesperson from the Atlanta Hawks declined PEOPLE’s request for a comment.
Now, at least one other NBA player is also speaking out against the evening.
On Tuesday, March 3, Golden State Warriors star Al Horford backed his former Boston Celtics teammate.
On X, Horford, 39, linked to Kornet’s post and added: “Well said Luke.”
For Kornet, whose sister Nicole Kornet was a standout college basketball player at Oklahoma and UCLA, stepping up — and looking out for others — is part of his game.
“He is an unbelievable person, cares a lot for people and will be there for anybody,” Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard said about Kornet in a 2024 Dallas Morning News profile of the Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian alum. “As a player, he is somebody that is always ready to step up when it’s needed and is going to do all the little things. He is just an unbelievable teammate.”
Read the original article on People