The crowd came alive for T.I.'s halftime performance during the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic game, despite the NBA canceling the Magic City promotion.
While some NBA fans were in a down mood after the NBA decided to cancel the Magic City promotion, the ATL icon's performance made them forget — if even only for a few minutes. T.I. performed his newest single, “Let ‘Em Know,” which dropped in January, to which the crowd stood up, dancing and rapping back the lyrics.
The Hawks primary owner, Jami Gertz, has ties to Magic City as he was a producer for a five-part docuseries that honored the club's legacy, and how it influenced hip-hop, Black culture, and the city of Atlanta.
“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,'” Gertz said when the promotion was announced. “The iconic Atlanta institution has made such an incredible impact on our city and its unique culture.”
Some NBA fans were ecstatic about the infamous strip club partnering with the Hawks as they are both staples in the culture. While some fans were excited for the collaboration, which would have started with last night's game, the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, shut down the promotion.
“When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks’ scheduled promotion, we reached out to Hawks leadership to better understand their plans and rationale,” Silver said in a statement. “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.”
While some Hawks fans were disappointed, the franchise respected the NBA's decision.
“While we are very disappointed in the NBA’s decision to cancel our Magic City Night promotion, we fully respect its decision,” the Hawks said in a statement. “As a franchise, we remain committed to celebrating the best of Atlanta – with authenticity – in ways that continue to unite and bring us together.”
