Promotional events for professional sports teams — especially struggling ones — are hardly a novel concept.
A largely irrelevant team that can’t get customers to show up to the game? Offer a free bobblehead giveaway.
Given that few sports franchises have been as historically irrelevant as the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, nobody would bat an eyelash if the team decided to get truly creative to get some butts in the seats.
But the Hawks appeared to cross the line between “creative” and “creepy” when it recently announced a ballyhooed “Magic City Night” promotional event.
While that may sound fun (the team was slated to face the Orlando Magic), it’s actually a deeply inappropriate promotional event for what’s typically promoted as “family-friendly” NBA outings due to what “Magic City” is: a strip club.
Now, as ESPN reported, Atlanta may describe “Magic City” as an “iconic cultural institution” — the strip club is apparently known for its lemon pepper wings — but the NBA isn’t buying it.
Now that the NBA stepped in, “Magic City Night,” which was originally slated for March 16, will not be taking place at all.
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/jzbUW8t73Y
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 9, 2026
“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “While we appreciate the team’s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees.”
He added, “I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
The Hawks put out a succinct statement in response:
— Atlanta HaWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 9, 2026
“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks posted Monday.
It added, “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”
NBC News reported that the Hawks actually have more than a Georgia-based connection to “Magic City.”
Jami Gertz, the principal owner of the Hawks, produced a five-part documentary series exploring the strip club’s history and place in local culture.
“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,’” Gertz originally said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
The Hawks announced that a planned halftime rap show will commence as planned on March 16, as will the special food offerings, but that certain merchandise and a planned post-event podcast would be cancelled.
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