Zohran Mamdani mocked for 'cheap seats' stunt at Knicks game

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani tried to play the role of an everyday Knicks fan, taking a “cheap seats” spot at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, November 2, alongside podcaster The Kid Mero.

The stunt quickly went viral, with clips showing the democratic socialist cheering and chanting “Let’s go Knicks” with fans outside the arena. However, netizens were quick to notice his “nosebleed” seats and point out that he had never mentioned the team online before launching his mayoral campaign. 

Zohran Mamdani watches Knicks game from the upper rafters

In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Zohran Mamdani sat in the upper rafters of Madison Square Garden with comedian and podcaster The Kid Mero, one of his campaign supporters, in Section 212. Mamdani wore a Knicks home jersey featuring Josh Hart’s No 3 over a white collared shirt and a black “New York or Nowhere” cap.

The Kid Mero, whose real name is Joel Armogasto Martinez, filmed the eight-second clip. It showed the crowd before he turned the camera toward Mamdani, who smiled, made a playful shushing gesture, and laughed throughout the video.

In another video posted as an Instagram reel by both Kid Mero and Mamdani, the two chanted “Let’s go Knicks.” The caption read, “The Zohran effect @zohrankmamdani is real and has taken over the @nyknicks. After being 0-3 in the last 3 games, the New York Knickerbockers finally picked up a dub tonight. 1-0 baby! Send this to Dolan and tell him if you wanna win vote for Zohran, and if you want to lose continue supporting Cuomo #zohranmamdani #knicks #nyc #politics #fyp.”

According to The New York Times, the podcaster joked that Mamdani looked like “one of my Dominican cousins.”

Although some fans at the game didn’t recognize him, Mamdani tried to connect with the crowd by dancing to the Backstreet Boys’ 1999 hit 'I Want It That Way' and shaking hands with fans.

Speaking to The Times, he said, “The exhilaration of the last few days of the campaign is like little else, but so is the anxiety. Somebody described it to me once like playing tennis but not being able to see the score until the last minute.”

Internet asks Zohran Mamdani: 'Why are you in the cheap seats?'

Within hours of Zohran Mamdani sharing a video clip of himself and a podcaster attending a New York Knicks game from the cheap seats, the post sparked debate online. 

One asked, "Why are you in the cheap seats? Communism doesn't pay???" Another wrote, "Don’t worry. Nobody actually cares."

A person said, "Spent all that money on fancy sushi and had to sit in the nosebleeds (i'm joking)," while another, referencing his laugh in the video, bluntly wrote, "I don’t understand- what r u laughing at? Seeming more and more psychotic by the minute. Vote wisely NYC."

"I hope you realize if you become Mayor, you actually have to work and not bop around the city grinning and hanging out," read another tweet.  

One more quipped, "He in the nosebleeds bc the Knicks don’t claim him."

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