New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has ruled out heading to watch the NBA Finals alongside President Trump, declaring: ‘If I go… I’ll be doing so separately.’
The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, with Jalen Brunson and Co eyeing the franchise’s first championship since 1973.
They will face either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs, who collide in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday night.
Earlier this week, Trump – a native New Yorker – said he was planning to attend one of the games at Madison Square Garden next month after receiving an invite from Knicks owner James Dolan.
‘I think I’ll be going to one of the games,’ the president said. ‘I was invited by numerous people, and [Dolan], and I think I’ll be going.’
Mamdani was among the crowd for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, sitting in the nosebleeds as the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a series sweep.
Zohran Mamdani has ruled out heading to watch the NBA Finals alongside President Trump
The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals and chasing a first championship since 1973
‘If I go to the game, I’ll be doing so separately,’ Mamdani said about joining Trump at MSG
The 34-year-old said on Thursday that he is still ‘figuring out’ whether he will go to the NBA Finals. In any case, though, Mamdani won’t be there with Trump.
‘If the president went to a game, that’s his decision to make. If I go to the game, I’ll be doing so separately,’ he told TMZ.
Mamdani later added in a press conference: ‘If the president comes to watch the Knicks, I’ll leave the president to watch the Knicks as he wants to watch the Knicks.’
The Democratic mayor would not be drawn on whether Trump would receive a good reaction from the crowd at MSG, telling TMZ: ‘New Yorkers, we are an unpredictable people. I think I’d make a fool of myself if I wanted to make a prediction.’
He also dodged the chance to question Trump’s credentials as a Knicks supporter. ‘I’m not going to do any analysis of the president’s fandom,’ he said, per ABC.
‘I will say that anyone who wants to come and watch the Knicks… should be welcome there. I can tell you that it feels like the thing that’s on everybody’s mind across the five boroughs and we’re incredibly excited.’
Mamdani vowed to watch the NBA Finals – even if he is ‘not sure’ if he will make it to MSG for any of the games. He also joked that his administration is ‘looking into an executive order to let the kids stay up late.’
