Knicks go on losing streak after Zohran Mamdani yells at Jalen Brunson
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The New York Knicks haven’t won since New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a viral reference to star point guard Jalen Brunson during the mayor’s inauguration speech on January 1.
The Knicks fell for the fourth straight time on Monday with a lopsided 121-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Their streak 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 gone 0-3 since then, with losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and the sub-.500 Atlanta Hawks.
Many social media users have pointed out that the Knicks have failed to win since the reference speech, including comedian Michael Rapaport.
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About nine minutes into Mamdani’s Jan. 1 speech, he proclaimed that “excellence is no longer the exception,” adding that the city “expects greatness” from “our point guard at Madison Square Garden.” During that comment, the mayor covered his face with his hand, appearing to replicate Brunson’s celebration, but then transformed the gesture into wiping his face.
Images of the moment circulated on social media, with some Knicks fans thanking 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, in front of City Hall. (News/Pool)
Former Kansas City Chiefs player Chris Manno was one of many who criticized Mamdani, suggesting Brunson will “hate” the new mayor.
“The Captain will hate this clown as soon as he finds out how much of his next contract will go to supporting those who don’t feel the need to work in that corrupt city,” Manno wrote in response to the X 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, the Knicks sent a cease-and-desist letter to Mamdani’s campaign after it used a logo similar to the team’s for a campaign ad, 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 moment. #NewYorkForever.” The location of the post was Madison Square Garden. It has since been removed.
In a statement, the Knicks made it clear that they “do not support Mr. Mamdani for mayor.”
“The NY Knicks have sent New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a cease and desist letter for using the NY Knicks logo to promote his candidacy. The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for mayor and oppose his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.”
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to Title IX enforcement and in mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News and ESPN.com.