The National Basketball Association canceled the March 16 promotion honoring Atlanta tourist attraction Magic City.
The world famous strip club is known for its lemon pepper wings and the most beautiful dancers this side of the Mississippi River.
The NBA’s decision was announced on Monday after pushback from stakeholders (team owners), NBA players, advertisers, employees, and fans who don’t want their families rubbing elbows with strippers and their customers.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver cited stakeholder concerns as the reason for the cancellation. The game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic will continue as scheduled at State Farm Arena on March 16.
Another concern for arena security is the ongoing war between halftime performer T.I. (pictured) and rapper-turned-TV mogul 50 Cent. Both camps have hinted there might be violence if the war continues.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet verbalized his disappointment with the Hawks’ decision to honor a strip club at a family event. He called on the Hawks to cancel the event because it is disrespectful to women.
In a post on Medium.com, Luke Kornet said the NBA should protect and hold women in esteem.
He said many of the NBA’s female employees “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.”
Kornet added:
“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.
“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.”
