NBA player Luke Kornet is asking the Atlanta Hawks to cancel a promotion it planned in partnership with a local gentlemen’s club, saying the event would “reflect poorly” on the league.
Kornet, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, wrote in a blog post published Monday that 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,” and cancel the event promoting Atlanta’s Magic City.
“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,” Kornet argued. “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 announced the promotion last week, calling it a “one-night collaboration to celebrate the city’s iconic cultural institution” Magic City during the team’s home game against Orlando on March 16.
The team is planning to have rapper and Atlanta native T.I. perform some of his best-known songs at halftime, sponsored by Jack Daniels and with local DJ Esco to curate pregame music.
“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’,” Hawks owner Jami Gertz said in a statement at the time. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Former Hawks player Al Horford praised Kornet’s comments in a social media post, calling them “well said.”
The Hawks did not respond to a request for comment on Kornet’s criticism.
“I’d like to encourage the league, its owners, employees and fans to hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting,” the Spurs center wrote as part of his blog post. “I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision. 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.”
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