Luke Kornet called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming collaboration with Magic City (AP)
An NBA player has publicly condemned the Atlanta Hawks’ decision to collaborate with an adult entertainment club, urging the team to cancel the controversial promotion.
San Antonio Spurs centre Luke Kornet expressed his dismay, stating that he and other players were taken aback by the move.
Writing on Monday, Kornet argued that allowing the March 16 event, scheduled during the Hawks’ game against the Orlando Magic, “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
He further elaborated in a blog post, adding: “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.”
The Hawks had announced the promotion last week, detailing plans for a live performance by Atlanta native T.I., alongside the sale of two versions of Magic City’s renowned chicken wings and a special hoodie.
The San Antonio Spurs center wrote Monday that allowing the March 16 event during the Hawks’ game against the Orlando Magic ‘would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society’ (AP)
However, Kornet highlighted that the team’s press release “failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’”
He concluded by directly asking the Hawks to cancel the promotion.
“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,” Kornet wrote.
“The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
In a press release, Jami Gertz said: “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’.
“The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”