Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t just celebrate a playoff milestone with stats—he did it with a very Atlanta-specific request. After the New York Knicks evened their series with a 114-98 Game 4 win over the Atlanta Hawks, Towns made it clear what he wanted next: wings from Magic City.
“Lou Williams, you heard?” Towns said to Brandon 'Scoop B' Robinson, referencing the now-iconic “Lemon Pepper Lou” flavor tied to the former Hawks guard.
The moment capped a historic night for Towns. He posted 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists—his first career postseason triple-double—placing him in rare company among Knicks players. Only Walt Frazier, Dick McGuire, and teammate Josh Hart have reached that mark in franchise playoff history.
New York took control early, building a 68-44 halftime lead behind strong performances from Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby, while their defense disrupted Atlanta’s offense throughout the night.
Towns’ postgame nod also taps into a broader cultural lane that’s been gaining official attention. In Georgia, lawmakers are currently weighing House Bill 1013, which would make lemon pepper the state’s official chicken wing flavor.
House Bill 1013, introduced by Rep. Eric Bell, remains under consideration in the state House, where lawmakers are weighing whether to designate lemon pepper as Georgia’s official chicken wing flavor. If it advances, the measure would head to the state Senate and, ultimately, to Gov. Brian Kemp for final approval.
The proposal positions lemon pepper alongside established state symbols, framing the seasoning as more than a preference and describing it as a symbol of community and identity across the state.
“Just as peaches symbolize Georgia’s agricultural pride, lemon pepper wings symbolize Georgia’s cultural flavor and global culinary influence,” the bill states. It also points to the flavor’s presence in music, sports, and everyday gatherings as evidence of its reach.
That connection didn’t happen overnight. Lemon pepper wings took off in Atlanta after local spots like J.R. Crickets helped popularize wings in the 1980s. Over time, variations like “lemon pepper wet”—a mix of seasoning and sauce—became staples, eventually earning shoutouts from artists and athletes alike.
