Fury as Atlanta Hawks partner with infamous strip club adored by athletes: ‘This is pure moral decay’

The cultural fabric of Atlanta crosses many lines, but at its heart, night clubs and strip clubs play a crucial role in the evening scene. The Atlanta Hawks decided to partner with one of these venues, which has drawn ire.

On Thursday, the Hawks announced that they would be partnering with the strip club ‘Magic City’ for an upcoming game against the Orlando Magic.

Dubbed ‘Magic City Monday,’ the team is honoring the club that has been frequented by athletes and Atlantans from all walks of life and has become famous for not only its clientele, but its kitchen that slings lemon pepper wings and dubs itself as ‘the reason you come to Magic City.’

As a part of the promotion, the popular chicken wings are set to be sold at the game. Additionally, rapper TI and Magic City’s DJ Esco will perform.

The team also produced a special edition hoodie with ‘Magic City’ on the front as well as Hawks logos on the sleeve.

Despite the adult venue being a landmark within Atlanta and a staple of the city’s social scene, the internet lashed out.

‘The Atlanta Hawks promoting a strip club is an absolute joke,’ conservative Christian content creator Zach Schumaker posted to X. ‘The NBA sells itself as a family-friendly organization, but they are openly pushing “Magic City” to their entire fanbase.

‘If your culture revolves around celebrating strip clubs, that is completely embarrassing. This is pure moral decay.’

Another user with ‘ATL’ in their handle wrote, ‘Just an embarrassment. I won’t ever go to another Hawks game. Sell the team.’

‘So much for bringing your kids to a game! The NBA is complete trash. Unbelievable, wrote another user.’

But there were also plenty of people praising the team for their savvy in connecting with their community.

‘Atlanta doing Atlanta things. Magic City x Hawks collab on March 16 vs Orlando halftime T.I., special food, merch. Bold move, but it fits the city’s vibe perfectly. Culture over everything,’ wrote one user.

Another said, ‘This is exactly how sports franchises build stronger connections with their city’s entertainment and cultural history.’

ESPN’s Marc Spears commented, ‘The @ATLHawks got me in tears right now. They described Magic City as “the city’s iconic cultural institution.” Can’t say I can come up with a more creative promotion to sell tickets. And they selling Lemon Pepper Lou wings!’

The latter statement refers to one of the most infamous moments in NBA history from the 2020 Covid bubble.

Lou Williams, an NBA icon and Atlanta native, was playing for the Los Angeles Clippers that season when the pandemic broke out.

The NBA eventually returned by setting up the ‘bubble’ across the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida. Players weren’t allowed to break their quarantine except in extraordinary circumstances.

But Williams was in the need for those famous lemon pepper wings. So, he snuck out and took a trip up to Magic City and ordered a batch for dinner while being spotted with rapper Jack Harlow.

It earned him the nickname ‘Lemon Pepper Lou’ and the gentleman’s club honored him by re-naming their lemon pepper BBQ flavor after him.

Upon his return, the NBA mandated that Williams quarantine for ten days, which resulted in him missing two games.