Not everyone was waving Knicks flags at the championship parade. WFAN's Gregg Giannotti made it clear he had serious issues with Mayor Zohran Mamdani's speech during Thursday's celebration through the Canyon of Heroes.
Mamdani, who took office earlier this year, delivered a lengthy address praising the Knicks' resilience after their NBA Finals victory over the Spurs. His remarks about the team's historic Game 4 comeback—where they erased a 29-point deficit—drew cheers from the crowd but raised eyebrows in the radio booth.
“The numbers and your computers gave 99.6% chance for the Spurs to win Game 4. But it’s in that 0.4% chance that this team and this city become different from everything and everyone,” Mamdani said. “The Knicks did not just win for New York City, they won like New York City.”
He went further, drawing a direct line between the team's grit and the city's character. “So often when this city comes together it is because we are forced to, by a moment of tragedy or adversity. What a gift it is to be brought together by pure, unfiltered joy.”
That last line didn't sit well with Giannotti. During Friday's episode of Boomer and Gio, the host unloaded on what he saw as an inappropriate comparison to the September 11 terrorist attacks.
“For the respect of the people that lost their lives and families on 9/11, can we stop comparing a sports team coming back from 29 points to the city recovering from 9/11,” Giannotti said. “I love sports – if I didn’t have sports I wouldn’t have my life – but I can separate those two things.”
While Giannotti didn't mention Mamdani by name, the target was unmistakable. The radio rant adds another layer of tension to an already complicated relationship between the mayor and the Knicks organization. Team owner James Dolan was visibly unimpressed with Mamdani's speech during the parade, and the owner's own pointed remarks made headlines earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the parade wasn't without its lighter moments. Rookie Tyler Kolek was briefly mistaken for an overzealous fan by NYPD officers, and star guard Jalen Brunson used his speech to take a playful jab at Spurs coach Becky Hammon's pre-series doubts. But Mamdani's oratory remains the talk of the town—for all the wrong reasons, according to Giannotti.
The mayor's office has not responded to the radio host's criticism. As the confetti settles, the debate over what's appropriate to say at a sports celebration continues to simmer.
