The Hawks’ Magic City Monday promotion was not going to include erotic dancing. Several concession stands have been set to serve the membership’s well-known hen wings, which embody a taste named after Lou Williams, a former Hawks participant. Mr. Williams was famously noticed visiting Magic City with the rapper Jack Harlow when he had been excused from the N.B.A.’s quarantine bubble in 2020 to attend a funeral. “It was just chicken wings and a name, that was all going over there,” stated Michael Barney, whose nickname is Magic. Mr. Barney based the membership in 1985. He now owns the constructing, however not the membership, which is owned by Paradise Entertainment Group. “They said maybe we could use the Magic name over there to sell some hoodies and see if we can put out a special edition. Just hoodies and wings, that’s all.” He added, “They took it from Magic City wings to stripper, stripper. Every other word was ‘stripper.’ That’s how they beat you down.” — 3/16/2026 New York Times
Lou Williams: I’ve had opportunities to play overseas and like lockouts and this and that. But it would not even matter. We have this factor in our enterprise known as feed the household, proper? F*ck what anyone enthusiastic about. Feed the fam. That’s why you continue to see guys that Dwight Howard, prime 75 participant in the world, nonetheless enjoying. I’m nonetheless gonna be in Taiwan. Demarcus Cousins, I’m nonetheless gonna be in Mongolia. Feed the household in any respect prices. — 3/14/2026 YouTube
Lou Williams: “Let me say this: people are speaking out about the collaboration, and I think it’s a great collaboration for people that understand it. Let’s keep it in context. You know what Magic City is, but you got to be kind of hip to know what it is. And if you’ve never been there, reserve opinion about what you don’t know. This is about merch. This is about selling hoodies, selling wings, selling food. If you want to go do a field trip, then by all means, that’s on you. But the only live entertainment that will be in State Farm Arena is going to be the players.” Host: “Yeah. It’s not like they thinking the strippers going to be at the arena and stuff.” Lou Williams: “I’ll leave the deep conversation, as far as degrading women and all of that, for people that care to have that conversation. That’s not my place. But I know everybody is curious and wants to hear what my opinion is about the whole thing. This came up, and it was very clear that they want me there. I was invited, and I was accommodated.” — 3/7/2026 YouTube
Lou Williams: “Thank you for saying this, because the narrative has gotten so far off base that it’s ridiculous. I’m not a connoisseur of strip clubs. Magic is a place that I really just feel at home. I don’t go outside, but if I’m going to go somewhere, I can go over there because I know there’s going to be a level of respect that’s mutual both ways. And it’s love. Never had any issues over there.” — 3/7/2026 YouTube
Lou Williams: I believe individuals received to perceive Atlanta is a multi-layered, multifaceted, multicultural place. We rejoice a variety of completely different cultures. We rejoice a variety of various things that won’t make sense to individuals outdoors of Atlanta, Georgia.” We sort of function on our personal happiness and our personal issues that we see match.” Now, this is what I know about Magic City: it’s a Black-owned business. It’s a family-ran business, and everybody gets treated with respect when you walk in the door, if you carry yourself with respect. Lots of people love Magic City and adore and champion Magic City due to what I simply stated, due to the way you get handled. What your expertise is inside that constructing goes to be tailored to what you into.” — 3/7/2026 YouTube
Lou Williams: Even once I had my state of affairs, so far as the bubble goes, individuals’s imaginations ran wild, and so they made it about strippers and throwing cash and this and that. I’ve stated time and time once more on my platform, that’s not my expertise. That’s not what I’m there to do. Now, have I thrown my justifiable share of wands over time? Of course I’ve. But now it’s extra so like that is my prolonged family and friends. That’s someplace I am going frequent, and there are a variety of regulars that do the identical factor that I do, so we see it completely different.” And let’s always remember how wonderful the kitchen is.” Host: “I was going to say, that’s what you really go for — to eat.” Lou Williams: “Let’s also not forget how the merch play. Atlanta and Magic City, whether you like it or not, Magic City is a landmark in Atlanta. Whether you agree with it or not, it is a landmark. Whether you never step foot in there or whether you frequent there, you’ve heard of Magic City, and it’s part of your conversation when you come to Atlanta.” — 3/7/2026 YouTube
To that finish, the membership’s well-known lemon pepper wings — each those named after three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams and the “regular” model — shall be on sale, together with a particular model of the Hawks’ Peachtree City Edition hoodies. A stay episode of the group’s “Hawks AF” podcast (Hawks And Friends, Proctor made certain to notice), with the elder Barney and three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I., shall be broadcast pregame. T.I. will carry out at halftime. The club’s dancers will not take part in any aspect of the evening, Proctor said, but employees of the club will have access to a suite at the arena to watch the game. “This wasn’t a cakewalk, easy decision,” Proctor stated. “We had to make sure we positioned the experience in a way that made sense for our business. That was 100 percent of how we landed where we did. So, dancers, no, but they talked extensively in the documentary about the music being a big part of the experience and culture.” — 2/28/2026 New York Times
How many occasions have you ever watched Damian Lillard hit a defender with a dribble jab, create separation and hit a 3-pointer? That bar completely encapsulated his hip-hop and basketball abilities. “Wasatch Front” was a defining moment for Lillard. “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock?)” was a defining moment for O’Neal. When we talk about hip-hop meshing with basketball players, those two provided the blueprint. The record is longer than some might assume. There was Cedric Ceballos in the early Nineties. Gary Payton, Chris Webber and Allen Iverson all dabbled in the style. The late, nice Kobe Bryant put out a memorable collaboration with R&B celebrity Brian McKnight, “Hold Me,” in 1997. — 2/26/2026 New York Times
Adam Aaronson: Tyrese Maxey is the all-time leading three-point marksman in Sixers history. Maxey just made his 886th career three. It took him simply 375 NBA video games to go Allen Iverson and set a brand new franchise file. — 2/26/2026 Bluesky
Justin Russo: Bennedict Mathurin’s 38 points tonight were the most by an LA Clippers bench player since Lou Williams had 40 on March 8, 2019. Mathurin joins Williams and Bob McAdoo as the one Clippers bench gamers to rating a minimum of 38 factors in a recreation. — 2/20/2026 Bluesky
The 24-year-old’s efficiency was so spectacular that Doc Rivers in contrast Thomas to two of the best Sixth Men ever whom he coached throughout his 27-year NBA profession. “It’s unbelievable. I’ve had Jamal Crawford, I’ve had Lou Williams, and now I have Cam Thomas,” Rivers told reporters after the game. “Very similar, but they’re all different in their own ways. Cam wants to do right. He wants to play well. You can see that. We’re going to give him every opportunity. The guy is a natural scorer, and you can see that. He probably forced one or two today where he over-dribbled. You live with that and you teach that to get that out of him. But overall, he was fantastic, and he competed on the other end.” — 2/12/2026 BasketNews
Lou Williams: The summertime, we all know that the Knicks can do better business in the summer. They can put together a better option or a better package for Giannis Antetokounmpo. So, that dialog continues to be alive. We do not know the place to go from right here. He’s saying that legends do not chase, they appeal to. I did not see any strikes that actually made the Milwaukee Bucks a vacation spot place at this commerce deadline. So, it is once more, it is a variety of questions that that want to be answered and I felt like they may have been answered if we simply would have gotten some straight clear-cut data from each sides. They’re utilizing the factor that stated, ‘Hey, Giannis never wanted to get traded. Giannis never said that he wanted to be traded.’ Sure. But we additionally had experiences of his illustration working with the Milwaukee Bucks to see if they’ll get on the identical web page. So, there was motion there. So do not make anyone that is reporting that out to be a liar that was reporting on that primarily based on the data that is popping out of what was occurring with the knowledge you guys have been giving us. So once more, I do not assume this saga is over. — 2/7/2026 YouTube
Crazy Stats: Cooper Flagg has scored 119 points over his last three games. The only rookies since the ABA-NBA merger (1976) to score more points over a three-game stretch are Allen Iverson (134 points) and Trae Young (121). — 2/5/2026 x.com
We’re told after Allen Iverson walked out, that there was a change of heart and he did sign some people’s merch, but not everyone’s. And so Eli’s sister Jada took to social media to express her disappointment in a post that’s gone viral. “I simply thought it was actually not honest on the youngsters. You know, possibly he may be having a foul day, however these youngsters are having a foul time, like they are going by way of most cancers.“ — 1/29/2026 YouTube
Josh Robbins: Trae Young is wearing a John Wall Wizards jersey on the bench tonight. On Jan. 19, Young wore an Allen Iverson Georgetown jersey throughout a Wizards recreation. Another savvy DMV basketball wardrobe transfer by Young and the Wizards. — 1/29/2026 Bluesky
