The NBA, the Atlanta Hawks and Magic City have found themselves in a bit of a Streisand Effect vortex.
Last month, the Hawks announced that the team would host “Magic City Monday” on March 16 via the team’s website, with T.I. set to perform at halftime, an exclusive hoodie that was going to sold at the arena on the team’s online shop and the Atlanta strip club’s notable lemon pepper wings. However, NBA players Luke Kornet and Al Horford spoke out against the decision, which then led to a bit of a firestorm on social media and ultimately Magic City Night’s cancellation.
Of course, Cam’ron and Mase had something to say on their daily sports talkshow It Is What It Is.
“Adam Silver is serious about pulling out all stops to be different, and I like this,” Mase, who lives in Atlanta, said. “But this was something he had to put his foot down. There’s people that love Magic City, there’s people that hate Magic City, but when you talk about the NBA, you talk about the Atlanta Hawks, it’s not just about the guys that watch this game or the ladies that watch this game, but it’s about the kids that are watching this game, and I think this particular statement is a statement that needed to be made, so that they can bring some respect back to the game where children are concerned, right?”
He then said that continuing with this particular night would send the wrong message to kids.
“If the children are coming there and you got a little girl there, she’s loving the NBA, or a kid there and he’s watching the NBA … and then you pull out Magic City and you honor that in front of children, I just felt like it would have sent the wrong message to the whole NBA,” he added. “It would’ve definitely sent the wrong message to the kids, and I think that’s what you have to do. … You have to protect children at all costs. I’m thankful that he did that, especially being a person that lives in Atlanta.”
Cam, on the other hand, had a different opinion. “Yeah, I dig it. I totally understand,” he said. “I don’t support it. That’s you. I don’t support it.”
He added: “If you wanna bring your kid to Magic City Night, we gotta look at you as a parent. You got 41 games at home. Come on, man. You can pick another night to not bring the kids to Magic City Night.”
The NBA released a statement, saying that they feel like they made the right decision. “When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “While we appreciate the team’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. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community.”
Meanwhile, the Hawks expressed disappointment in their own statement. “While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the team said Monday. “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta — with authenticity — in ways that continue to unite and bring us all together.”
You can watch the full episode below and try not to spend too much money on those hoodies once they hit the resale market.
