If you are craving some strip club chicken wings, Lou Williams has got your back.
The 33-year-old’s recent Magic City stop is one of the funniest and most peculiar moments of the summer.
Wings, catfish nuggets and strips from the historical African American Performing Arts Center Magic City. pic.twitter.com/lWHuCehKL3
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) July 28, 2020
Although the move clearly violates the NBA bubble’s safety regulations, it is still a laugh-out-loud moment that seems too strange to be true.
While attending a funeral in Atlanta on Thursday night, Williams made a strip club detour with several of his friends. Photographs of the visit appeared all across social media. Williams is shown holding drinks and wearing his NBA Bubble mask.
Rapper Jack Harlow posted a photo with Williams on his Instagram story, and later deleted it. According to Harlow, it was an “old pic” of him and Lou.
https://twitter.com/HipHopTies/status/1287184163624214533?s=20
In a since-deleted statement on Twitter, Harlow said, “That was an old pic of me and Lou. I was just reminiscing cuz I miss him.”
Love this pic https://t.co/EkBaH9ZqS9
— Jack Harlow (@jackharlow) July 24, 2020
The incident prompted the NBA to start a forensic investigation to determine whether or not Williams was inside Magic City strip club at the time. Rumor has it that the league is flying in the nation’s top fingerprint and DNA specialists to snag some evidence.
Per ESPN, Williams told investigators that he went to the Magic City strip club for dinner for a short time Thursday, and no entertainers were present.
Williams has described the club as being his favorite place to eat, and the restaurant has even named some chicken wings after him.
I respect that but magic city and blue flame got the best wings in the city 🤷🏾♂️ https://t.co/rKtiNZXiPU
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) February 12, 2019
The laughable part is that while the NBA should be fully focused on the season’s restart, the league is too busy hiring Sherlock Holmes to find out whether Lou Williams was snacking on chicken wings in a strip club.
Lou Williams has to quarantine for 10 days after visiting Magic City gentleman’s club for dinner, per @ShamsCharania.
He’ll miss the first two seeding games. pic.twitter.com/pkqft8fPfG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 26, 2020
Former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel felt the need to get in the action as well.
Believe it or not, the chicken wings at Magic City are the best I’ve ever had 🤷🏻♂️
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) July 26, 2020
Due to league safety policies, Williams will have to self-quarantine for 10 days when he returns to the bubble. Because of this, he will miss at least two of the Clippers’ seeding games, including their Thursday opener against the Lakers. His release is scheduled for August 4th, the day of the Clippers’ third seeding game.
The Clippers now will be significantly short-handed as Patrick Beverly and Montrezl Harrell both left the bubble for personal reasons.
Clippers’ Lou Williams will have 10-day quarantine on Orlando campus after picking up food at Magic City on excused absence — sidelining him through first two seeding games — NBA says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 26, 2020
Williams is a three-time winner of the Sixth Man of the Year award and has won the past two consecutive years.
To no one’s surprise, he is once again a candidate this season. Williams is averaging 18.7 points and has helped the Clippers reach a current second-place spot in the Western Conference.
After being named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year during his senior year of high school, Williams declared for the 2005 NBA draft. He fell to the second round of the draft and was eventually selected 45th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.
After seven seasons in Philadelphia, Williams signed with the Atlanta Hawks where he played for two seasons. He tore his ACL during a January 2013 game against the Nets and spent several months recovering.
Williams had stints with the Raptors, Lakers, and Rockets before signing with the Clippers in 2017. He achieved a career-high 22.6 PPG average during his first season with the Clips, and followed up with a 20.0 average the next year.
Williams has won two Sixth Man of the Year awards with the squad, becoming the second player in history to win the award three times.
Williams is no stranger to wild off-the-court incidents. In December 2011, Williams claimed a gunman tried to rob him in Philadelphia but stopped when he recognized the player. After the two reached an understanding, Williams supposedly bought him a meal from McDonald’s.
Williams is also the subject of Drake’s 2015 song “6 Man” on the If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mixtape. It released the same year that Williams won his first Sixth Man of the Year award. He is featured in the song’s music video, and it played during his trophy presentation that year in a playoff game against the Wizards.
Must have been Drake's pep talk. Raptors hold on to beat Wizards, 95-93. Lou Williams leads the way w/ 27 points. pic.twitter.com/8EeRA764Ot
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 12, 2015
Regardless of whether or not Williams serves a life sentence for his unforgivable strip club venture, the NBA is taking the necessary steps in ensuring a safe playing bubble. It is unfortunate that his excursion has transformed into a viral mess, but both parties are working on settling the situation in a proper and safe fashion.
We look forward to watching the Clippers take on the Lakers Thursday night, even though wing-man will be absent from the picture.