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EspañolWelcome to Atlanta, where the players play and the gentlemen's clubs have the best wings in town.
The Atlanta Hawks are leaning into the city's famed hip-hop culture and history, featuring what the team is calling an "iconic cultural institution" that's definitely NSFW in an upcoming promotional night.
The team announced Wednesday it will collaborate with prominent Atlanta strip club Magic City for a one-night only, in-game celebration of hip-hop called "Magic City Monday" against the Orlando Magic on March 16.
“From the food to the music and the exclusive merchandise, we are excited to team up with Magic City to create an authentic, True to Atlanta-inspired game experience,” Hawks Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Melissa Proctor said in a news release.
Magic City Kitchen will serve two versions of their "world famous" lemon pepper wings, Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ, named after Atlanta-native and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year-winner Lou Williams.
What else is planned for 'Magic City Monday'?
The Hawks' celebration of "Magic City Monday" doesn't stop at wings. Atlanta rapper and entrepreneur T.I. is expected to perform at halftime.
Being that Tip is back home in Atlanta, at the State Farm Arena, it'll be interesting to see if he'll perform any recent cuts including diss tracks toward rapper and entrepreneur Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
Keeping it so ATL, the organization tabbed native DJ Esco to provide the pregame tunes.
Before the game, ticketed fans will have a chance to view a recording of the Hawks AF Podcast featuring a conversation with Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and T.I., hosted by comedian D.C. Young Fly, another Atlanta native.
“We doin’ this one for the city ... Magic City,” T.I. said in a news release.
Why is Magic City famous?
Magic City has become influential not only in Atlanta but as a tourist stop for those who visit the city. Ask NBA players who have a road game against the Hawks about the lore of Magic City wings.
Williams famously couldn't help but visit the spot for its wings in 2020 when he was excused from the NBA Bubble in Orlando to attend a funeral, while everyone was social distancing due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The moment went viral after a photo he snapped with rapper Jack Harlow during the visit that was posted to social media.
"We had our masks on, I thought we did it how we were supposed to do it," Williams said, explaining the incident during a June 2025 episode of Gil's Arena, a podcast hosted by former NBA player Gilbert Arenas with Nick Young, Kenyon Martin, Rashad McCants and Josiah Johnson.
He continued: "I want to put this to bed. I didn't sneak out the bubble to go to Magic City. They excused me from the bubble to go to a funeral. ...The funeral home was a block away from Magic [City]. I've been staying in a hotel [in the NBA bubble in Orlando] eating hotel room service food. Magic got good food, this is my hometown and if you know ATL, we eat in our strip clubs. That's where you can find the best food."
Williams received a 10-day quarantine for violating safety protocols but maintains that the league's focus was on him going to a strip club rather than his real reason for going – the food.
The incident did two things: birthed the nickname "Lemon Pepper Lou" and also cemented Magic City's kitchen's place as the stuff of NBA and Atlanta legend.
But long before Williams's visit, the site was a landmark for Atlanta and its visitors, which is the focus of the documentary "Magic City: An American Fantasy" that discusses the impact of the club on Atlanta music, sports and culture through interviews with Atlanta rappers Big Boi, Killer Mike and T.I., along with other celebrities and artists who they discuss its role in hip-hop and Black culture.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Atlanta Hawks to feature prominent strip club in upcoming promotion