In the opinion of one former ESPN star, Spurs centre Luke Kornet should stick to playing defence on the court and not off it.
Michelle Beadle slammed the San Antonio big man for his take on the announced collaboration between the Atlanta Hawks and Magic City, an iconic adult establishment in the city, which was set for March 16 before the NBA announced its cancellation on Monday night.
On his Medium blog, the nine-year NBA vet asks the Hawks not to go through with the promotional night when they play — fittingly — the Orlando Magic, saying it would cast a poor reflection on the league.
What did Kornet say?
“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,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the 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, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
What did Beadle say?
However, during a recent episode of Beadle & Decker, the former ESPN host slammed Kornet, calling him a “White Knight” while pointing out the he doesn’t even play for either team involved in the promotion.
“As a woman, I am not offended by the idea of Magic Monday,” Beadle said. “I cannot say this enough, Magic City, for anyone who’s been to Atlanta, it’s not just a t—- bar. I feel like that’s sort of the vibes that maybe people are getting.
“Secondly, and more importantly is, thank you, White Knight. We don’t need this. I’ve had enough of men telling us what we can and shouldn’t and what we should want and what we should need and how we should act. No. No, no, these are not trafficked 12-year-olds, OK? We have that and none of those people are being brought forward. This is not that. These are grown-a– women who have a job.
“I don’t understand, are you shaming that industry as part of this blog? I can’t really understand the motivation. And most importantly, that’s not even a Spurs game, bruh. That’s Magic-Hawks. It has nothing to do with you, and he’s got like a petition. He actually wants people to sign on, and I’m just, I’m a little confused by it.”
The Magic City Monday event was supposed to feature themed merchandise, Magic City’s signature lemon pepper wings, and a halftime performance from Atlanta hip-hop legend T.I. The halftime show will still go ahead and a “full array of award-winning culinary options,” including the wings, will still be available.
What Hawks owner Jami Gertz says
“This collaboration and theme night is very meaningful to me after all the work that we did to put together ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,'” Jami Gertz, Hawks part owner, filmmaker and actor, said in press release. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Gertz was a producer of a five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy, which explored the establishment’s history and its place in both hip-hop and Black culture.