New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday celebrated a victory over Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy (R) after the New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers, advancing to their first NBA Finals since 1999.
Ramaswamy's Courtside Support Backfires
Ramaswamy had posted a photo of himself and his wife, Apoorva Ramaswamy, smiling courtside during an intermission of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Cleveland's Rocket Arena. 'Date night in Cleveland. Let's go Cavs...all the way back!' he wrote, as the Cavs trailed 38-26 at the end of the first quarter, facing elimination after losing three straight games.
However, the Knicks crushed the Cavs 130-93, completing a historic playoff run. According to ESPN, the Knicks outscored opponents by a combined 262 points over the last 11 games, the largest margin in any such span in NBA history, regular or postseason.
Mamdani's Retaliation
Mamdani swiftly reposted Ramaswamy's 'date night' snap without comment on both his personal and mayoral X accounts. The move was seen as a counterattack after a super PAC supporting Ramaswamy paid for a Times Square billboard targeting the mayor last year.
Users on X delighted in the mayor's post, with some comparing Ramaswamy's appearance to the 'Ted Cruz curse.' One account wrote, 'This dude may be worse than the Ted Cruz curse lol.' Another shared a meme saying, 'Best we've ever seen.'
Mayor's Playful Nod
Mamdani, who incorporated his love for the Knicks into his mayoral campaign and watched a game from the nosebleeds earlier in the playoffs, also made a playful post: '@NYCSanitation I'd like to report a sweep.'
