A former Atlanta Hawks star is now among those objecting to the team’s plans for a “Magic City Night.”
Earlier this week, the Hawks announced plans to honor Magic City, a well-known strip club in Atlanta that has become a cultural institution for the city. The Hawks plan to hold “Magic City Night” during a March 16 home game against the Orlando Magic, featuring music, merchandise, and the strip club’s iconic lemon pepper wings.
The plans sparked some backlash from some, including San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet. The seven-footer Kornet called for “Magic City Night” to be cancelled, expressing concern that the event would be demeaning to women. You can read Kornet’s full remarks here.
On Tuesday, Golden State Warriors center Al Horford, a former Kornet teammate on the Boston Celtics, echoed Kornet’s sentiment. “Well said Luke,” wrote Horford while reposting Kornet’s statement about “Magic City Night.”
Interestingly enough, the 39-year-old Horford used to star for the Hawks. He was drafted by Atlanta in 2007 with the No. 3 overall pick and played nine seasons there until 2016. Horford was a four-time All-Star and a one-time All-Defensive selection while with the Hawks and also featured during their franchise-record 60-win season in 2014-15.
Given his ties to the Atlanta area, Horford’s opinion here probably carries a bit more weight. But it remains to be seen if the Hawks will cave to the increasing public pressure on them or simply decide to hold “Magic City Night” as scheduled instead.
