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NBA Star Defends Atlanta Hawks Over Strip Club Promo

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Draymond Green
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NBA star Draymond Green jumped into the growing controversy around the Atlanta Hawks’ upcoming “Magic City Night,” backing the team and calling stripping “a form of art.”

The Golden State Warriors forward defended the event after critics across the league blasted the Hawks for planning a promotional night honoring Atlanta’s most famous strip club.

Atlanta’s franchise announced that it will move forward with the promotion when the Hawks host the Orlando Magic on March 16.

The event will spotlight Magic City, a strip club that has long been part of Atlanta’s nightlife scene and a frequent hangout for athletes and celebrities.

Team officials described Magic City as having an “incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.” The announcement sparked immediate backlash around the NBA.

Green, however, rejected the criticism and argued the debate reflects outdated views about the dancers and the club.

“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,” Green commented on “The Draymond Green Show.”

The four-time NBA champion argued that people who dismiss the profession misunderstand what actually happens inside the club.

“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,” he remarked.

Green suggested critics project their own assumptions onto women working in the industry.

“But to say that because a woman decides that that’s the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective on society’s thoughts and how they once view things,” he continued.

The Warriors forward pointed to rapper Cardi B as an example of someone who rose from that environment to massive success.

“Cardi B is selling out stadiums and her background would be that. I don’t think Cardi B has esteem issues,” Green said.

“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.”

Green also argued the promotion fits the NBA’s broader culture of inclusion.

“To say that a huge part of Atlanta culture reflects poorly on the NBA as a community, I completely disagree because the NBA as a community is a very inclusive community,” he stated.

“So why this particular night is bad for the community, I don’t quite understand it in a very inclusive community.”

Green acknowledged that some players strongly oppose the promotion but said disagreement should not shut down the celebration.

“I respect how Luke Kornet feels. I respect that he made his feelings known, but I disagree with them wholeheartedly,” Green added.

The most vocal criticism came from San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet.

The 30-year-old player published an open letter urging the Hawks to cancel the event entirely.

Kornet argued the promotion conflicts with the league’s responsibility to respect 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.

He warned that celebrating a strip club sends the wrong message to fans and families.

“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 noted.

“The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”

Kornet also accused the Hawks of downplaying the nature of the business in their announcement.

“In its press release, the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club,’” Kornet continued.

“Given this fact, I would like to respectfully ask that the Atlanta Hawks cancel this promotional night with Magic City.”

The Spurs center argued the decision risks making the league complicit in the objectification of women.

He pointed to broader issues within the industry, including reports of abuse and harassment faced by dancers.

Former Atlanta Hawks star and Green’s current Warriors teammate, Al Horford, praised Kornet’s push back with a “Well done, Luke.”

Despite the backlash, the Hawks confirmed the event will continue as planned.

A team spokesperson told the New York Post the organization has no plans to cancel the celebration.

The night will feature appearances by rapper T.I., Atlanta-themed merchandise and food from the club’s well-known kitchen.

Magic City’s lemon pepper chicken wings have become a staple among visiting athletes and entertainers.

Former Hawks player Lou Williams also voiced support for the event.

Williams knows the club well after drawing national attention during the NBA’s pandemic bubble in 2020.

The guard received a ten-day quarantine after leaving the bubble while on an excused absence following his grandfather’s death and stopping at Magic City for food.

Williams defended the promotion and suggested some critics simply misunderstand Atlanta culture.

He acknowledged there will always be people “who don’t understand it.”

The club itself also pushed back against claims that the collaboration sends a harmful message.

Magic City manager JuJu Barney defended the venue’s place in Atlanta history during an interview on “TMZ Live.”

“Magic City has been a staple in Atlanta for 40 years now,” Barney said.

“It’s bigger than strip. It’s more an iconic place where anybody who’s a CEO, an NBA player, a politician, actresses, actors – they all come, and they’re all normal when they come here.”

Barney compared the experience inside the club to a theatrical performance.

He described it as “a more adult version of Cirque du Soleil.”

Barney also insisted the Hawks promotion will not include nudity.

“It’s strictly just wings and music and people having a good time,” he said.

Yaya, a dancer at the club and daughter of Magic City’s founder, also rejected the idea that the partnership exploits women.

She acknowledged Kornet’s concerns but disagreed with his interpretation of the situation.

“I feel like this collaboration honestly is more celebratory energy than anything he was trying to make it seem like,” she said.

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