Atlanta native and Grammy-winning musician Jermaine Dupri is not for any slander about cultural monuments in his city, The Magic City nightclub has been around for nearly 40 years, with patrons coming in nightly to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on food, drinks, and women dancing. Therefore, the announcement of the Atlanta Hawks and a gentleman’s club raised concerns, especially regarding the messages it sends to younger NBA fans and the broader community. Jermaine Dupri defends the Atlanta Hawks ‘ collaboration with a local strip club, where adults and kids will be watching. (Photo: Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images) ‘Jermaine is Just as Trashy’: Outraged Fans Slam Jermaine Dupri for Admittedly Exposing 12-Year-Old Bow Wow to Strippers, Scarring Him for Life The March 16 “Magic City Night” is one of several promotions the team has organized throughout the 2025-26 season, offering exclusive apparel, a halftime performance by T.I., and lemon pepper wings from the iconic gentleman’s club. The Hawks and Orlando Magic game is still on the books, as is the “Let ‘Em Know” rapper’s music set, but there won’t be any tributes to the local institution that has become a part of the city’s legacy. A live taping of the “Hawks AF” podcast featuring the King of the South, primary team owner Jami Gertz, and Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, the strip club’s founder, was also scrapped. “I just think that’s crazy to me. Why?” Dupri asked during a chat with someone on Instagram Live, while blasting Kornet’s lengthy “note” about the game. Many people might feel it’s inappropriate to associate a family-friendly sport like basketball with a venue that isn’t typically considered suitable for all audiences. Luke Kornet is requesting the Hawks cancel tonight's "Magic City Monday" theme night with the iconic Atlanta strip club."The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women." pic.twitter.com/8gOuMlQ5zq— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 2, 2026 “They blew it out of proportion. It was just chicken wings and the name,” said Barney on “The Streetz Morning Takeover” show, claiming he was notified about the cancellation through a phone call. ‘Like we were going to turn girls loose,” he added about people outraged that certain things that go on in his club cannot and will not go on during the game. According to the NBA, “Canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community,” after speaking with Hawks leadership and hearing concerns from league stakeholders, including employees, partners, and fans. The franchise shared, “We remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together” despite commissioner Adam Silver’s decision. pic.twitter.com/ARpFImHcaQ— Atlanta HaWWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) March 9, 2026 A disappointed fan called out the league for what some deemed the league’s hypocritical assessment of the event’s original theme. “So there’s gambling rings, players and coaches involved in RICOs, and abusers employed by the league. But Lord forbid we get some lemon pepper wings and a hoodie,” reads one tweet. Fans began pointing the finger at the person most responsible for drawing negative attention to the event. “It’s one person sir that started the outrage,” said one person while another added, “The white man cried about Magic City night and the league folded.” Once Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green got word about Kornet’s ” note” and concerns, which he addressed during the March 4 episode of “The Draymond Green Show” podcast. He referred to himself as “a man with a wife, as a man with daughters, as a man with sisters, and as a man with an amazing mother and an amazing grandmother, and incredible aunts and nieces,” while defending women’s choice to become exotic dancers. Green argued, “To point out they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work they chose, I actually think it’s less protective of women because you’re condemning something… If you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art.” The four-time NBA champion also noted that Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B, a former stripper, is currently selling out arenas on her “Little Miss Drama Tour.” “I don’t think Cardi B has esteem issues. So, I think that’s actually a negative vantage point on these women that are in this line of work,” Green said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @courtsidebuzzig Fans remain divided on the topic, but Magic City’s influence is not up for debate. On the contrary, one social meida user wrote, “Whether the night happened or not, the amount of marketing value that the business got out of this far outweighs the initial planned night. But this was the right decision by the league. We have kids at games.” Another said, “People don’t go to Magic City for chicken wings and the name. Why are people trying to water down what that life is all about. Magic City trying to be Hooters now? C’mon Atlanta. Stop it. What’s next, a Magic City/Ebenezer Baptist Church colab?” The club has been name-dropped in countless songs, served as the background to music videos, TV shows, and films, and the focal point of the “Magic City: An American Fantasy” Starz documentary in 2025, produced by Dupri, who previously admitted to exposing rapper Bow Wow to the Magic City lifestyle at age 12. ‘We Have Kids at Games’: Jermaine Dupri’s Attempt to Co-Sign Atlanta Hawks’ Magic City Night Backfires as New Campaign Forces the NBA’s Hand ...read more read less