NBA icon Draymond Green has backed the Atlanta Hawks’ decision to hold a promotional night for an infamous local strip club, despite furious criticism from elsewhere around the league.
The Hawks have confirmed that they are pressing ahead with their controversial Magic City Night, despite the announcement sparking backlash last week.
And the franchise has the endorsement of four-time NBA champion Green as he pushed back against the critics on his podcast.
The Golden State Warriors forward sided with the event organizers as he branded stripping a form of ‘art.’
‘I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work (that the dancers) chose, I actually think is less protective of women because you’re condemning something that’s actually an art,’ he said on The Draymond Green Show.
‘I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art, that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in.
NBA icon Draymond Green has backed the Atlanta Hawks’ decision to host Magic City Night
Magic City has been a staple of Atlanta’s culture and is known for their lemon pepper wings
‘[Cardi B is] selling out stadiums and her background would be that. I don’t think Cardi B has esteem issues. So, I think that’s actually a negative vantage point on these women that are in this line of work; that because they choose this line of work that they have esteem issues.’
The NBA franchise is set to host the event on March 16, which will celebrate Magic City, a famed Atlanta-based strip club, when they face the Orlando Magic.
The team announced the promotional night last week, billing it as a tribute to a ‘cultural institution,’ and revealing that it will feature appearances from rapper T.I., city-themed merchandise and the venue’s iconic lemon pepper chicken wings.
The announcement sparked controversy, with San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet leading the backlash.
The 30-year-old penned a powerful open letter, urging the Hawks organization to scrap the upcoming ‘Magic City Monday’ promotional night.
But, despite the uproar, the Hawks are planning to go ahead with the event, a team spokesperson told the New York Post.
The Hawks’ refusal to backtrack comes after Kornet claimed the event makes the NBA ‘complicit’ in the mistreatment of women.
‘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,’ Kornet wrote.
The Atlanta Hawks will proceed with holding their Magic City Night on March 16
The center argued that the league should promote an atmosphere respectful of the ‘daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.’
Kornet warned that the promotion makes the NBA ‘complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women’ and noted that many in the industry experience ‘abuse, harassment, and violence.’
The team’s press release notably avoided using the term ‘strip club,’ instead focusing on the establishment’s deep-rooted history within Atlanta’s nightlife scene.
Kornet remained unimpressed, stating that the celebration of such a venue is simply ‘not conduct aligned’ with providing a safe environment for fans of all ages.
The Spurs star claimed he is not alone in his disgust, suggesting that other figures across the league were left ‘dumbfounded’ by the Hawks’ decision to pursue the partnership.
‘We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball,’ Kornet continued, calling for the other 29 teams to stand up.
The backlash has not been limited to the locker room, with social media erupting in a fierce debate over the morality of the promotion since it was unveiled on Thursday.
Despite the outcry, many others have praised the team for a ‘savvy’ connection to the city’s unique culture, citing Magic City’s legendary status in the South.
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet sensationally demanded the Hawks cancel the event
ESPN’s Marc Spears reacted with amusement, calling it a ‘creative promotion’ while noting the club’s famous wings were even renamed after NBA icon Lou Williams.
The wings became a part of basketball lore in 2020 when Williams famously snuck out of the ‘NBA Bubble’ to grab a meal at the club, earning the nickname ‘Lemon Pepper Lou.’
As part of the upcoming night, the Hawks have even produced special-edition hoodies featuring the Magic City logo alongside the team’s iconic ‘Pac-Man’ crest.
Magic City, which has operated since 1985, is widely considered a kingmaker in the rap industry, often credited with launching the careers of numerous global superstars.
The club’s kitchen, which dubs itself ‘the reason you come to Magic City,’ remains one of the most talked-about culinary spots in the city of Atlanta.
