New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stayed diplomatic when asked at a Thursday press conference whether President Donald Trump could be a “bad luck charm” for the Knicks and even avoided a direct dunk on Trump’s fandom—while still scoring points at Trump ally V
Zohran Mamdani kept his guard up when a reporter floated a playful, pointed idea at a Thursday press conference: could President Donald Trump be a “bad luck charm” for the New York Knicks?
The question landed in a moment when the Knicks were still riding momentum after a dominant series over the Cleveland Cavaliers—and when the mayor has already signaled he’ll be part of the next stage. On Wednesday. the native New Yorker confirmed he’ll be in the crowd when the NBA series moves to Madison Square Garden for Game 3.
During Thursday’s exchange, Mamdani answered in a way that didn’t give anyone the easy satisfaction of watching him link himself to the President. “You know, if the president comes to watch the Knicks, I’ll leave the president to watch the Knicks as he wants to watch the Knicks,” he told reporters.
He also leaned into his own experience, saying, “I’ve been lucky enough to go to a few games this season,” and calling it “lovely” to watch from the cheaper seats. If he gets another chance to attend, he said, he’ll simply see where he ends up rooting from.
Asked directly whether Trump could jinx the Knicks’ winning streak, Mamdani refused to take the bait. “I’m not going to do any analysis of the president’s fandom,” he said. He pivoted instead to what Knicks fans actually want to hear: hope the games go the team’s way and that specific players keep delivering. “I will say that anyone who wants to come and watch the Knicks. and pray that [Landry Shamet] keeps making those 3s. and we see ‘Captain Clutch’ out there on the court. I think everybody should be welcomed there.”.
For a mayor whose politics are anything but quiet. it was a striking kind of restraint—especially given how ready he was to needle someone else connected to Trump. After the Knicks swept the Cavaliers last week with a 93- to 130-point routing. Mamdani moved to troll Vivek Ramaswamy. reposting a pre-game snap of Ramaswamy’s court-side “date night” with his wife. Apoorva Ramaswamy. on both his personal and official government X accounts. with no extra commentary.
That contrast—no direct dunk on Trump himself, followed by quick jabs at Ramaswamy—followed the same logic Mamdani used at the podium: keep the focus on the Knicks, keep the tone controlled, and aim the sharpest shots where he chooses.
The stakes remain unusually high for New York basketball right now. The Knicks have earned their first spot in the finals since 1999. and after their run over Cleveland. they’re still waiting to learn who they’ll face for the championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs are still battling for the Western Conference title. with OKC leading the series 3-2.
Game 6 is set for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Zohran Mamdani Donald Trump New York Knicks NBA Finals Vivek Ramaswamy Cleveland Cavaliers Landry Shamet Oklahoma City Thunder San Antonio Spurs Madison Square Garden Zohran Mamdani press conference 2026 NBA playoffs
Knicks fans are gonna act like this matters way too much.
Lol “bad luck charm” questions are so dumb. But also like… Trump is everywhere, so I get why they asked? Mayor just dodged it though.
Wait so he’s saying Trump can watch the Knicks but he won’t say if it’s a jinx? That’s kinda the whole question tho. Also “cheaper seats” like that’s not the real issue, the real issue is the refs or whatever.
I mean, if he’s gonna be at Game 3 at MSG then it’s already like a curse or whatever lol. I heard the Knicks are moving on to Madison Square Garden and now everyone’s turning it into politics. Zohran Mamdani already said he’ll be there, so of course he’s not gonna answer “does Trump jinx them” like he can control fate. If the Knicks lose I’m blaming Trump’s “fandom” or the weather or something, not the mayor, idk.