Luke Kornet opened the floodgates that arguably led NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to cancel the Atlanta Hawks’ Magic City game promotion on March 16. The San Antonio Spurs center wrote an open letter early this month asking Silver not to approve the planned activity. The Hawks wanted to honor what they called a “cultural institution,” which promotes itself as “Atlanta’s premier strip club.”
On Monday, Silver canceled the in-arena promotion via a press release. The commissioner cited “significant concerns” from “league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees” as the reason behind his decision.
Fans promptly reacted to the news. One fan wrote:
“Luke Kornet runs the league, omg.”
Another fan added:
“Half of Atlanta just fell to their knees.”
One more fan continued:
“Cancel Pride Nights next.”
Another fan commented:
“Luke Kornet’s gonna get the ‘LeBron’s first game back in Cleveland after the decision’ treatment the next time he plays in Atlanta.”
One more fan tweeted:
“Wow, Luke Kornet has motion.”
In his letter on the “Medium,” which was endorsed by former Boston Celtics teammate Al Horford, Kornet wrote:
“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. We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love. Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community.”
According to the 2024 champ with the Boston Celtics, “the celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.” Kornet added that he was one of “others” around the NBA who felt the need to protest.
Adam Silver heard the concerns, pushing him to cancel the Magic City tribute.
Luke Kornet Received Backlash for His Protest Against the Atlanta Hawks’ Planned Magic City Tribute
Luke Kornet’s request to the NBA to cancel the Atlanta Hawks’ Magic City tribute was met with strong pushback from fans. Many called him “stupid,” while others insisted that he didn’t have any idea what he was protesting about. A few former NBA players laughed at him.
Five days ago, Fox Radio Sports’ Rob Parker did not hold back against Kornet’s statement and urging:
“That is a place that has a connection with the community. … I think he’s misguided here. Where was your blog about gambling? … It’s a legal business. If it’s illegal, he has a leg to stand on. … Backup centers should be seen, Not Heard.”
Luke Kornet never wavered despite the scathing criticism. The backup center’s effort and plea paid off when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver just did what he asked for.
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