New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a message for Trae Young: you're not even on our radar anymore. In a recent CNN interview, Mamdani was asked whether Victor Wembanyama has overtaken Young as the biggest basketball villain in the Big Apple. His response was a masterclass in shade.
“I’m not sure who that other guy is you’re speaking of,” Mamdani said, with a straight face that screamed 'we've moved on.' The comment was a direct shot at Young, who became public enemy number one in New York during the 2021 NBA playoffs after torching the Knicks with an average of 29.2 points per game in the first round. That series, which saw the Atlanta Hawks eliminate the Knicks, turned Young into a villain fans loved to hate—and he embraced it.
“Obviously, I’m doing something right if you hate me that much,” Young said after a Knicks fan tried to spit on him. “I embrace it and try to focus on my team and trying to help my team win.”
But now, with Young no longer in Atlanta and the Knicks hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the narrative has shifted. Mamdani’s jab underscores a larger truth: New York has bigger things to celebrate. The Knicks are set to hold their first-ever ticker-tape parade this Thursday, a moment that feels like a lifetime in the making for a city that has endured decades of heartbreak.
“It will be the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks history, where New Yorkers will be able to celebrate a moment that feels like we’ve waited an entire lifetime for,” Mamdani said. “There have been so many heartbreaks, so many near misses, so many years, every year where we’ve told ourselves it’s the year and for it to actually happen now, there’s nothing more we can ask for as New Yorkers.”
The parade, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET, will wind from Battery Park to City Hall, with Jalen Brunson and the rest of the championship roster basking in the glory. It's a stark contrast to the days when Young’s name was chanted in anger at Madison Square Garden. Now, the mayor’s playful dismissal suggests that the Knicks' success has finally buried that rivalry.
This isn't the first time Mamdani has clashed with figures in the sports world. He recently faced off with Knicks owner James Dolan over parade logistics, with Dolan accusing the mayor of trying to stifle the celebration. But for now, the mayor is focused on the win, not the drama. As for Trae Young? It seems New York has officially moved on.
