Menu Features Wings — Not Breasts or Thighs — for Hawks’ Strip Club Tribute

In the long history of NBA promotions featuring bobbleheads, throwback jerseys, banner giveaways and cultural theme nights, few have generated quite as much debate as a team acknowledging a local strip club. But as the Atlanta Hawks prepare to host “Magic City Monday” on March 16 at State Farm Arena, one thing is already clear: Controversy sells.Tickets prices for the game against the — you guessed it — Orlando Magic are soaring for what has quickly become one the most talked about regular-season games the Hawks have hosted in recent years. The promotion celebrates Magic City, the famed Atlanta strip club that for four decades has served as a popular destination for hip-hop culture, celebrities, athletes and locals, who crave entertainment and the club’s world-famous lemon pepper chicken wings.Yes, chicken wings.While an NBA team spotlighting a jiggle joint drew criticism in some NBA circles, fans are literally buying into the attraction. According to secondary ticket markets, a seat that costs about $180 for Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers soars to $476 for the Magic City game. The best seats in the arena are approaching $10,000.Part of the inspiration behind the promotion comes from Hawks part owner Jami Gertz, who served as a producer on the documentary “Magic City: An American Fantasy,” which examines the club’s influence on Atlanta culture, music and nightlife. The Hawks’ “Magic City Monday” will include a live taping of a podcast discussing the documentary as well as a halftime performance by Atlanta rapper T.I. Perhaps more importantly to fans, they will be treated to Magic City’s famous lemon pepper wings.“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,” Mr. Gertz said. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”Still, the promotion has sparked a lively debate across the NBA. San Antonio center Luke Kornet criticized the promotion, arguing it sends the wrong message and contributes to the objectification of women. He wrote in a lengthy post that the Hawks should be held to a “higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting.”The response online was divided, with Mr. Kornet’s stance endorsed by some including NBA veteran Al Horford, who once played for the Hawks. Others accused Mr. Kornet of misunderstanding the cultural significance of Magic City, which is viewed as having been instrumental in establishing the hip-hop scene.T.I., Migos, Jermaine Dupri, 2 Chainz, Killer Mike and others got their starts by distributing mixtapes to DJs during the club’s famous “Magic City Mondays.”Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors called what happens inside the strip club a form of artistic expression. “If you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art,” Mr. Green said, adding that people should not assume dancers lack dignity simply because of their profession.The four-time NBA champion referenced Cardi B and her history as a stripper before achieving worldwide fame as a rapper. “I don’t think Cardi B has esteem issues,” Mr. Green said. “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, they have esteem issues.”Juju Barney, manager of the club, told TMZ that only chicken wings will be on the menu at the game, not thighs and breasts. “We’re not bringing entertainers to the game,” Mr. Barney said. “There will be no nudity whatsoever, at all. It’s strictly just wings and music and people having a good time.”Magic City will be serving two versions of its wings including Lemon Pepper Lou, named after former Hawks guard Lou Williams, who was fined by the NBA for leaving the bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic to pick up dinner at the club. Mr. Williams was excused from the bubble in 2020 to attend a family member’s memorial service, but made an unapproved stop at the club for “only a short time.”Mr. Williams is now among those supporting Magic City Night. “Everybody won’t be happy with everything,” he said. “I think it’s an opportunity for everybody to be educated on things they agree with and things that they don’t agree with.”

Menu Features Wings — Not Breasts or Thighs — for Hawks’ Strip Club Tribute

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