Sold-out crowd at Hawks game features fans in Magic City-themed merch as backlash grows

The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic met successful a pivotal mid-March NBA matchup with important Eastern Conference playoff implications. But Atlanta’s 10th consecutive triumph successful beforehand of a capableness assemblage was overshadowed by the fallout from the canceled Magic City promotion.

The Hawks’ short-lived collaboration with the Atlanta big amusement club, announced Feb. 26, promised exclusive merchandise, themed citrus capsicum wings and an on-court show by Atlanta autochthonal and Hip-Hop prima T.I. 

But earlier this month, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the promotion would not determination guardant arsenic planned. Silver cited concerns from "a wide array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners and employees."

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Despite the promotion being scrapped, galore Hawks fans arrived astatine State Farm Arena wearing Magic City-themed merchandise. It was unclear which items were officially licensed and which were not.

Hawks co-owner Jami Gertz wore a co-branded Magic City sweatshirt portion sitting courtside for Atlanta’s 124-112 win, led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s 41 points.

Jami Gertz speaks onstage during "Magic City: An American Fantasy" screening connected Aug. 11, 2025 successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for STARZ)

Jami Gertz co-owns the Hawks with her husband, businessman Tony Ressler. She besides produced a five-part docuseries connected the much than 40-year-old club.

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While the Hawks routinely big taxable nights each play that item Atlanta’s unsocial civilization and assemblage groups, the cancellation of this latest promotion sparked mixed reactions and immoderate disorder astatine the section level.

At slightest 1 in-arena retail store reported 12 requests for Magic City hoodies done the archetypal 4th Monday. A Hawks Shop income subordinate said 300 of those hoodies were disposable for preorder, and they sold retired wrong minutes. The precocious request prompted a larger bid of the sweatshirts, which volition present beryllium permanently shuttered away.

An Atlanta Hawks instrumentality displays his Magic City hoodie anterior to the crippled betwixt the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks astatine State Farm Arena connected March 16, 2026, successful Atlanta, Georgia.  (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Koreena Atkins, a subordinate of the Hawks’ instrumentality conception known arsenic the FanDuel 404 crew, secured 1 of the 300 sweatshirts. Atkins had hoped to deterioration her sweatshirt to the game, but the instrumentality nine was told Magic City chants and cogwheel would not beryllium tolerated.

Nichole Kagwisa missed the preorder window, and travel Monday nighttime she demanded answers.

"I’ve been a (season-ticket holder) for 5 years, and I’ve upgraded. Like, I’m a bully member. I privation a sweatshirt," she said. "I didn’t person this game. I was going to bargain tickets, but past my friends got standing-room only. We wanted the experience, and we inactive (haven't) seen the citrus capsicum wings yet!"

Atlanta Hawks defender CJ McCollum (3) shoots against the Orlando Magic during the archetypal fractional of an NBA hoops crippled connected March 16, 2026, successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Among a oversea of disappointed Hawks fans were those pleased with the NBA‘s decision.

"I personally deliberation they should person ne'er done it. I’m present contiguous with my grandson, who conscionable turned 15 years old," said a longtime season-ticket holder who didn’t privation to springiness his name. "You privation to spell successful that direction, past spell successful that direction. But erstwhile you do, you’re going to suffer writer roots, and I’ve been a Hawks instrumentality since they came present successful the ‘60s."

Ashton Leroux, who has DJ’d astatine Magic City for the past 8 years, was capable to sympathize with some sides.

"I didn’t deliberation it was that large astatine first, and past I started to recognize I’ve been amongst nine civilization for fractional of my DJ career, and it benignant of took maine distant from the existent world," Leroux said.

He past pointed to a young boy, besides lasting successful the Hawks Shop.

"Like him, what if helium sees this and wants to really ask, ‘What is this about?’ How bash we speech to the kids? I get that side. I truly do."

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The Hawks instrumentality to enactment connected Wednesday erstwhile they instrumentality connected the Mavericks successful Dallas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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