Zohran Mamdani tried to dunk over the Knicks’ longtime arch-nemesis.
But Trae Young wasn’t going to sit idly by and not at least contest the jam.
The New York mayor was asked on Thursday about the high ticket prices at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks’ first-round series against the Hawks compared to the get-in price at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.
Before getting into his more extended answer, the democratic socialist wanted to place the blame on Young, a former member of the Hawks.
“First, I would say that I blame Trae Young,” Mamdani said jokingly, leading to some laughs. “And I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young.”
Hizzoner then gave a more extended answer about how he believes sports are now more of a “luxury commodity” and wished tickets were “far more affordably priced.” As of Thursday night, the cheapest ticket — on Tickmaster — to get into MSG for Saturday’s Game 1 is $353; Game 3 prices for next Thursday in Atlanta are $84.
noti.group’s request for comment from the Knicks and Madison Square Garden was not immediately returned.
All the while, Young, the former Hawk who was traded in the middle of the season to the Wizards, clapped back at New York for what went down in 2021 — and how then-Mayor Bill de Blasio joined the fray.
“Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this…. #DontBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain,” Young wrote in response on X.
During those playoffs, Young became a thorn in the side of Knicks — and their passionate fans — when he dropped 32 points, including the final-second game-winner, in the opening contest.
De Blasio, during a press briefing shortly after Game 1, specifically called out Young.
“This is very serious, want to get this message to Trae Young on behalf of the people for New York City and anybody that cares about playing basketball the right way: Stop hunting for fouls, Trae,” de Blasio said.
The message really didn’t work, as Young finished the series by averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists as the Knicks were eliminated in five games. Memorably, though, Knicks fans continually chanted “F–k Trae Young,” something that still continues to this day.
During the 2024-25 season, Young further entrenched himself as a villain when he helped close out the Knicks in the NBA Cup quarterfinals before stepping on New York’s logo at midcourt before mimicking rolling a dice, meaning his team advanced to Las Vegas and the Knicks had not.
The Wizards did not qualify for the playoffs, so Young’s next chance to play the Knicks will come next season, whether he remains with the Wizards (he has a player option for 2026-27) or not.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
