Y’all, the New York Knicks finally did it.
The franchise's championship victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night sparked a massive online reaction as fans celebrated New York's first NBA title in more than 50 years. But alongside the excitement came a wave of memes, many of which centered on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
As celebrations spread across social media, some users joked that Mamdani's first months in office were responsible for the city's recent run of good fortune—from municipal milestones to major sporting victories.
One X user summed up the mood online:
Knicks winning after five decades and Arsenal winning after 22 years in Mamdani’s first year as mayor. It’s time to crown him emperor for life.
— Zito (@_Zeets) June 14, 2026
Mamdani's office has highlighted achievements, including balancing the city's budget and filling the 100,000th pothole. In the sports world, the mayor also secured 1,000 World Cup tickets for New York residents priced at $50 and has watched two of his favorite teams—Arsenal and the Knicks—celebrate major victories.
The memes only intensified after Mamdani announced that a championship parade for the Knicks will take place in Manhattan on Thursday.
The New York City mayor celebrated the win with a brief message on social media:
Parade. Thursday. Manhattan.
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) June 14, 2026
Calling into Mornings On 1 on Monday morning, Mamdani said the city wanted to move quickly after fans immediately began asking when a championship parade would take place.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. near Battery Park and travel north along Broadway through the "Canyon of Heroes" before ending at City Hall, where players and city leaders will participate in a ceremony. While the event will follow the blueprint of previous ticker-tape parades, Mamdani said the city's decades-long wait for a championship could draw especially large crowds.
Mamdani reflected on what the championship means for New Yorkers:
“This is an incredible team that has brought the city together in a way that we often only see in moments of tragedy, but in a moment of joy this time.”
Meanwhile, some social media users have contrasted the celebration surrounding Mamdani with jokes aimed at President Donald Trump, who attended the Knicks' loss to the Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday and was subsequently dubbed a "curse" in posts circulating online.
View the reactions here:
While acknowledging that some students may be unable to attend due to this week's Regents exams, Mamdani said school should remain the priority.
The New York City mayor offered a playful message to students considering skipping class:
“My encouragement would be that you should still be taking the Regents. Unlike the executive order for bedtime, this is something I cannot repeal.”
Mamdani added that the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is preparing for large crowds and remains focused on ensuring a safe celebration following isolated incidents that occurred after Saturday night's victory.
@IrnaEnglish/X
