Luke Kornet, Wembanyama’s Teammate with the Spurs, Asks Atlanta Hawks to Cancel Their Strip Club Partnership!
Mar 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Luke Kornet, center for the San Antonio Spurs, has publicly called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their « Magic City Monday » promotion planned for the March 16 game against the Orlando Magic. In a letter published on Medium on March 2, the 30-year-old player expressed his concerns regarding this partnership with Atlanta’s iconic strip club establishment.
A Promotion Dividing the NBA World
The Hawks management had recently announced this one-night partnership, presenting Magic City as an « iconic cultural institution, » highlighting its role and impact in Atlanta’s Black communities and hip-hop culture. The evening includes a halftime appearance by rapper T.I., sales of limited edition merchandise, and serving of the famous « Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ » wings by Magic City Kitchen, named after Lou Williams, three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Luke Kornet is requesting the Hawks cancel tonight’s « Magic City Monday » theme night with the iconic Atlanta strip club.
« The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women. » pic.twitter.com/8gOuMlQ5zq
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 2, 2026
However, Kornet believes that « the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the establishment itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.' » The player continues by stating: « 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. »
A Call for Collective Responsibility
In his letter, Kornet emphasizes the importance of creating a respectful environment: « We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners we know and love. Allowing this evening to proceed without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically by being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society. »
The Spurs center encourages « the league, its owners, employees, and fans to hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promotion. » He adds: « Others across the league and I have been surprised by and oppose the Hawks’ decision. We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can come safely and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. »
Magic City, which celebrated its 40th anniversary with a five-part STARZ documentary series produced by Jami Gertz, principal owner of the Hawks, remains at the heart of this controversy now dividing the NBA community.
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