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The New York Knicks have been winless since New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a viral reference to star guard Jalen Brunson during his inauguration speech on January 1.
The Knicks lost their fourth straight on Monday in a 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Their skid began with a close two-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs on December 31. Mamdani gave his speech early the next day, and the Knicks have since gone 0-3, with losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and the sub-.500 Atlanta Hawks.
Many social media users pointed out that the Knicks couldn’t win since the speech, including comedian Michael Rapaport.
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About nine minutes into Mamdani’s Jan. 1 speech, he declared that “excellence is no longer the exception,” adding that the city “expects greatness” from “our guardian of Madison Square Garden.” During the remark, the mayor covered his face with his hand, appearing to mimic Brunson’s celebration, but then transitioned the gesture into wiping his face.
Images of the moment have spread across social media, and some Knicks fans appreciate the reference. But many others in the city and across the country criticized Mamdani for his democratic socialist agenda.
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers his inaugural address on Thursday, January 1, 2026, outside City Hall. (Fox News/Pool)
Former Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Manno was one of many to criticize Mamdani, suggesting that Brunson will “hate” the new mayor.
“The captain is going to hate this clown when he learns how much of his next contract will support those who don’t feel the need to work in this corrupt city,” Manno wrote in response to the clip.
However, other users praised Mamdani for the gesture and reference during the speech.
Brunson received 27 write-in votes during the recent mayoral election.
In October, Knicks sent Mamdani’s campaign a cease-and-desist letter after he used a logo similar to the team’s for an ad campaign, Fox News Digital confirmed at the time.
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Mamdani posted the logo on Instagram with the caption: “This is our year. This is our time. #NewYorkForever.” The venue for the venue was Madison Square Garden. It has since been deleted.
In a statement, the Knicks made it clear they “do not support Mr. Mamdani for mayor.’
“The NY Knicks have sent a letter to NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to cease and desist from using the NY Knicks logo to promote his candidacy. The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not support Mr. Mamdani for mayor and object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will use all legal means to enforce our rights.”
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