{"id":2578156,"date":"2026-03-10T11:01:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-steps-in-forced-to-cancel-teams-highly-inappropriate-promotional-event-we-have-heard-significant-concerns\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T11:06:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:06:33","slug":"nba-steps-in-forced-to-cancel-teams-highly-inappropriate-promotional-event-we-have-heard-significant-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-steps-in-forced-to-cancel-teams-highly-inappropriate-promotional-event-we-have-heard-significant-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Steps In, Forced to Cancel Team&#8217;s Highly Inappropriate Promotional Event: &#8216;We Have Heard Significant Concerns&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnba-steps-in-forced-to-cancel-teams-highly-inappropriate-promotional-event-we-have-heard-significant-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2578156&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article covers the atlanta Hawks\u2019 controversial plan for a promotional night called \u201cMagic City night,\u201d tied to the Magic City strip club, and it&#8217;s ultimate cancellation by the NBA. It notes that the promotion was intended to align wiht Atlanta culture and included events such as a halftime rap show and special food offerings, despite the team describing the club as a local institution known for lemon pepper wings. The NBA stepped in after widespread concerns from fans, partners, and employees, leading to the decision to cancel the promotion, with commissioner Adam Silver calling it the right move for the broader league community. The Hawks expressed disappointment but said they respected the decision and remained committed to celebrating Atlanta in authentic ways. The piece also highlights a connection to Hawks owner Jami Gertz, who produced a documentary about the club, and mentions that while some elements (like the halftime show) would proceed, certain merchandise and a post-event podcast would be canceled.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Promotional events for professional sports teams &mdash; especially struggling ones &mdash; are hardly a novel concept.<\/p>\n<p>A largely irrelevant team that can&rsquo;t get customers to show up to the game? Offer a free bobblehead giveaway.<\/p>\n<p>Given that few sports franchises have been as historically irrelevant as the NBA&rsquo;s Atlanta Hawks, nobody would bat an eyelash if the team decided to get truly creative to get some butts in the seats.<\/p>\n<p>But the Hawks appeared to cross the line between &ldquo;creative&rdquo; and &ldquo;creepy&rdquo; when it recently announced a ballyhooed &ldquo;Magic City Night&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cuomo-book-publisher-cancels-second-printing-paperback\/\" title=\"Cuomo Book Publisher Cancels Second Printing, Paperback\">promotional event<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While that may sound fun (the team was slated to face the Orlando Magic), it&rsquo;s actually a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >deeply inappropriate promotional event<\/a> for what&rsquo;s typically promoted as &ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/family-friendly-restaurant-based-on-sex-hooters-hit-by-devastating-financial-development\/\" title=\"&#039;Family-Friendly&#039; Restaurant Based on Sex, Hooters, Hit by Devastating Financial Development\">family-friendly&#038;rdquo<\/a>; NBA outings due to what &ldquo;Magic City&rdquo; is: a strip club.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Now, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/48156644\/nba-cancels-atlanta-hawks-planned-magic-city-tribute-night\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESPN<\/a> reported, Atlanta may describe &ldquo;Magic City&rdquo; as an &ldquo;iconic cultural institution&rdquo; &mdash; the strip club is apparently known for its lemon pepper wings &mdash; but the NBA isn&rsquo;t buying it.<\/p>\n<p>Now that the NBA stepped in, &ldquo;Magic City Night,&rdquo; which was originally slated for March 16, will not be taking place at all.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The following has been released by the NBA. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jzbUW8t73Y\">pic.twitter.com\/jzbUW8t73Y<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBAPR\/status\/2031116613986971749?\">March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks&rsquo; scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,&rdquo; NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. &ldquo;While we appreciate the team&rsquo;s perspective and their desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broad array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>He added,&nbsp;&ldquo;I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Hawks put out a succinct statement in response:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"zxx\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ARpFImHcaQ\">pic.twitter.com\/ARpFImHcaQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Atlanta HaWWWWWWks (@ATLHawks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ATLHawks\/status\/2031132956379533698?\">March 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While we are very disappointed in the NBA&rsquo;s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,&rdquo; the Hawks posted Monday.<\/p>\n<p>It added, &ldquo;As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta &mdash; with authenticity &mdash; in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/sports\/nba\/nba-cancels-atlanta-hawks-magic-city-night-rcna262609\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC News<\/a> reported that the Hawks actually have more than a Georgia-based connection to &ldquo;Magic City.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Jami Gertz, the principal owner of the Hawks, produced a five-part documentary series exploring the strip club&rsquo;s history and place in local culture.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together &rsquo;Magic City: An American Fantasy,&rsquo;&rdquo; Gertz originally said when the promotion was announced. &ldquo;The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The Hawks <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ATLHawks\/status\/2031132959093223652\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> that a planned halftime rap show will commence as planned on March 16, as will the special food offerings, but that certain merchandise and a planned post-event podcast would be cancelled.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ]; 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( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a concise paraphrase of the piece:<\/p>\n<p>Promotional stunts are common in professional sports, especially to boost attendance for struggling teams. The Atlanta Hawks sparked controversy by promoting a \u201cMagic City Night\u201d tied to the strip club Magic City, which clashed with the league\u2019s family-friendly image. The article also includes some embedded video\/widget code and references to page elements such as a feedback form.<\/p>\n<p>Key points:<br \/>\n&#8211; The Hawks\u2019 plan to host Magic City Night, a promotion linked to a well-known strip club, was seen as crossing a line for a family-friendly NBA outing.<br \/>\n&#8211; ESPN reported the NBA stepped in, with commissioner Adam Silver saying that the concerns from fans, partners, and employees led to canceling the event as the right decision for the broader NBA community.<br \/>\n&#8211; The Hawks issued a brief statement saying they were disappointed but respected the NBA\u2019s decision and would continue celebrating Atlanta authentically.<br \/>\n&#8211; It\u2019s noted that Hawks owner Jami Gertz has a connection to Magic City through a documentary project, adding context to the collaboration.<br \/>\n&#8211; Some elements, like a halftime rap show and certain food offerings, were still planned, but merchandise tied to the event and a post-event podcast were canceled.<br \/>\n&#8211; The page also contains technical elements (embedded video widget code) and a user feedback form<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2578157,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-09T220310.203.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[6124,5241,50410,7873,7800],"class_list":["post-2578156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cancellation","tag-concerns","tag-controversy-2","tag-nba","tag-promotion"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-09T220310.203.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2578156"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578156\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2578160,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2578156\/revisions\/2578160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2578157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2578156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2578156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2578156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}