Luke Kornet recently made waves by calling for the cancellation of the Atlanta Hawks ' promotional night, "Magic City Monday," which is being held in collaboration with one of the city's most iconic spots.
According to the letter Kornet wrote to the NBA, the league should step in to protect women from being objectified.
"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 the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love," he wrote .
While Kornet gathered support from people, including his former teammate Al Horford , the latter's current teammate, Draymond Green , pushed back against the criticism, arguing that the women who work there are artists and do not have self-esteem issues.
As far as the ATL and strip clubs are concerned, there is no place better than Magic City. A legendary venue founded in 1985 by Michael "Magic" Barney, Magic City's stature in the city has only grown with time. Located in the heart of Downtown Atlanta, it attracts people from all over the country, including celebrities and athletes.
Known for its diverse and talented dancers, Magic City is a hub for hip-hop culture and has been featured in numerous music videos and movies. However, what sets it apart is not just its reputation as a party spot but also as a place where dancers can make a career out of their talent.
"I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that's the line of work they chose, I actually think is less protective of women because you're condemning something – it's actually an art," Green explained on his podcast. "I don't know if you've ever been, but if you see it in action, it's actually a form of art – that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in."
"But to say that because a woman decides that that's the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective on society's thoughts and how they once view things," the outspoken power forward continued.
Green furthered his point by citing Grammy Award-winning rapper Cardi B as an example. The "Bodak Yellow" artist admitted that she used to work at a strip club, a line of work that helped her escape poverty and domestic violence, paving the way for her to become one of the most prominent and successful female hip-hop artists of all time.
"Cardi B is selling out stadiums and her background would be that," he said. "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; that because they choose this line of work that they have esteem issues. I actually wholeheartedly disagree."
"Magic is also a big part of Atlanta culture. Huge, huge, huge part of Atlanta culture. To say that a huge part of Atlanta culture reflects poorly on the NBA as a community, I completely disagree because the NBA, as a community, is a very inclusive community. So why is this particular night bad for the community? I don't quite understand it in a very inclusive community," the Golden State Warriors forward added.
Green said he's not expressing his opinion to create some beef with Kornet; he even pointed out that he respects the San Antonio Spurs big man more for lending his voice to the conversation. However, he did point out that he disagrees with the notion and fully supports the Hawks' initiative, no matter how raunchy it may be.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
