Spurs Center Luke Kornet Urges Hawks to Cancel Magic City Night Over Ethical Concerns
Atlanta, Monday, 2 March 2026.
Citing the objectification of women, Spurs center Luke Kornet formally petitioned the Hawks to cancel their upcoming collaboration with Magic City, arguing the promotion contradicts the NBA’s core values.
A Formal Petition Against “Magic City Monday”
In a detailed open letter published on Medium on Monday, March 2, the 30-year-old Spurs center specifically targeted the Hawks’ scheduled “Magic City Monday,” set to take place on March 16 during a home game against the Orlando Magic [1][2][5]. While the Hawks organization has framed the event as a celebration of an “iconic cultural institution,” complete with a halftime performance by rapper T.I. and exclusive merchandise, Kornet contends that the promotion implicitly honors a strip club, thereby alienating female fans and employees [1][2]. The center, who signed with San Antonio in the summer of 2025, argued that the league must foster an environment respectful of “daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners” [1][5][8].
Kornet warned that proceeding with the event would make the NBA community “complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women” [4][5]. In his analysis, he dismissed the notion that the venue’s popularity justifies the partnership, stating that “regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence” [1][4]. He claims to have support from others within the league who were “surprised by and object to” the franchise’s decision to align itself with the adult entertainment venue [4][5].
Commercial Interests and Brand Alignment
The controversy highlights a distinct friction between local market engagement and broader corporate social responsibility. The Hawks’ promotional materials for the event notably avoided the term “strip club,” instead focusing on the venue’s reputation for its kitchen—specifically its lemon pepper wings—and its status within Atlanta’s hip-hop scene [1][2]. This branding strategy attempts to sanitize the venue’s primary function to fit the NBA’s family-friendly business model, a disconnect Kornet highlighted by noting that the Hawks failed to acknowledge the business’s own boast of being “Atlanta’s premier strip club” [4][5].
From a business perspective, the collaboration appears to extend beyond simple ticket sales or local culture. Industry observers note a potential cross-promotional synergy: Hawks co-owner Jamie Gertz serves as an executive producer on a docuseries about Magic City for STARZ, which the event is also set to promote [2]. This financial link adds a layer of complexity to the team’s decision-making, suggesting that the “Magic City Monday” concept is tied to specific media assets held by ownership rather than solely organic community engagement [2].
Historical Context and League Standards
Magic City has deep ties to NBA culture, a relationship that was famously highlighted when former player Lou Williams visited the venue for dinner while on an excused absence from the NBA Bubble in 2020 [2]. However, Kornet’s petition marks a significant pushback against normalizing these ties within official team operations. Kornet, who has established a reputation as a writer through his blog “Don’t Pass the Rock,” urged the league’s other 29 teams to hold the Hawks to a “higher standard” regarding what is worthy of promotion [1][8]. The incident leaves the NBA facing a decision on where to draw the ethical line between acknowledging local nightlife culture and maintaining a respectful, inclusive environment for all fans [4].