Luke Kornet‘s passionate plea to the Atlanta Hawks isn’t stopping them from hosting Magic City Night — the team tells TMZ Sports its tribute to the local staple isn’t going anywhere.
But don’t worry, Luke — not a single stripper will be working this party.
The San Antonio Spurs center spoke out on Monday … calling on the Hawks to scrap its plan to honor the iconic strip club when they host the Orlando Magic on March 16 with wings, food, merch and a music performance from T.I. — claiming it sends a bad message to women.
Al Horford — who played for the Hawks from 2007-2016 — praised Kornet and cosigned the message on Tuesday … and the blog post has since sparked a debate on whether it is an appropriate gesture.
A rep for the Hawks tells us the plans haven’t changed at all — and there have been no talks of calling an audible … meaning Magic City Night is still a go.
Well said Luke. pic.twitter.com/pGHxezOC1b
@Al_Horford
The team’s initial statement on the promotion did not mention the adult nature of the establishment … nor did it say any dancers on staff would be present.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” Melissa Proctor, Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said at the time.
But Kornet wasn’t having it … going to Medium to sound off on the idea.
“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 said. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”
On the bright side for Kornet, he won’t be present for any of it — he’ll be in L.A. facing the Clippers.
