The Atlanta Hawks have long been known as one of the NBA’s most creative franchises when it comes to pushing the boundaries of fan experiences. But their next promotional event at State Farm Arena is making fans giggle, given how unimaginable their event coordinator’s creativity is. It could even leave Luke Kornet flabbergasted.

After a high-profile offseason saga that saw the league office intervene to cancel a scheduled collaboration with iconic local entertainment venue Magic City, the team’s latest promotional reveal has reignited a hilarious league-wide debate.

According to an official team announcement, the Hawks are set to host “Single AF Night” on Thursday, January 7, when they take on the Indiana Pacers.

The event is designed to bring singles together with opportunities to meet and mingle while enjoying Hawks basketball.

Interestingly, Atlanta’s culture and entertainment will take center stage for Hawks fans this season as the team adds two new signature theme nights to its promotional lineup. “Single AF Night” and “90s Night” are the latest additions, giving the Hawks new ways to bring the city’s vibrant culture and premier entertainment directly to their fans.

So, every Hawks game will come with something extra for fans this season. Supporters of all generations will have access to interactive in-arena activations, live performances, and specially curated ticket packages.

In fact, Melissa Proctor, the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, stated:

“Our 2026-27 promo calendar is a celebration of Atlanta, designed to amplify local culture, bring people together, and honor the diverse communities that make this city great. We can’t wait to welcome Hawks fans back home to share another thrilling year of game-day memories together.”

Building on a smaller-scale singles mixer hosted by the franchise during the previous season, the Hawks are pitching the evening as an arena-wide social gathering for local bachelors and bachelorettes looking for an assist in the dating market.

While many fans are excited about it, they also wonder what basketball player Luke Kornet would think about these additions. After all, he was quite against “Magic City Monday” as he thought the event was disrespectful towards women.

The NBA world really took notice of the event when former Clippers guard Lou Williams infamously visited it in 2020 and was given a 10-day quarantine by the league.

Now, in March, San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet, a devout Catholic, published a widely circulated Medium article urging the league to cancel the event on moral grounds.

While the Hawks fanbase themselves found Magic City night corny, albeit unproblematic, Kornet argued that celebrating a strip club was complicit in the objectification of women.

Now, as the Hawks transition from exotic dancers to speed dating, basketball fans on social media have turned their attention directly back to Kornet.

Luke Kornet becomes the punchline in Hawks’ theme night

The news of the single-focused promotional evening immediately went viral across basketball forums, with supporters poking fun at Atlanta’s wildly unpredictable event planning. But most were questioning whether Luke Kornet would lodge another formal objection to the league office.

Comparing the newly announced event to the scrapped spring promotion, one fan noted that it was a “Much better idea than magic city night”.

Others highlighted the potentially awkward visual of fans attempting to navigate romantic courtships while actively trying to focus on young talent on the hardwood, with one user joking about what happens “When she wants to kiss during Single AF Night but Kingston Flemings is running point.”

While GIFs circulated about what the Kiss Cam feed was going to look like, the focus quickly shifted back to Kornet’s campaign against Atlanta’s marketing department.

Referencing the big man’s previous essay, a fan wrote, “Please don’t let Luke Kornet see this. He’ll write a strongly worded letter to the NBA about how dating is immoral and unbecoming of the city he doesn’t live in.”

The sentiment, “let’s hope luke kornet doesn’t see this,” was repeated over and over.

The creative pivot in thematic choices also left several onlookers questioning the decision-making process inside the franchise’s front office, with one fan asking, “they tried to do “Magic City Night” last year and now this? WHO the hell is their event coordinator 😭😭😭”.

Others anticipated another round of league intervention, with a commenter stating, “They just be doing whatever at hawks games. Adam silver gone cancel this one too.”

Ultimately, the overarching sentiment surrounding the event boiled down to whether the league’s unofficial moral compass had cleared the singles mixer beforehand, asking, “did they get luke kornet permission ?”