Zohran Mamdani reacts to viral New York Knicks rhyme: ‘My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish’

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared his reaction to the viral rhyme that starts “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish” and celebrates the New York Knicks ending their 53-year NBA championship drought.

Mamdani, 34, was asked about the viral rhyme Sunday morning during an interview with MS Now’s Jacob Soboroff, hours after the Knicks overcame a 16-point deficit in game five of the NBA Finals, sealing their victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Advertisement

Soboroff played the viral clip of MD Ahnaf Hossain, the originator of the rhyme, exclaiming: “My mayor’s still Muslim, my bagel’s still Jewish, even the Pope’s on our side, Knicks in five!”

“He is a New Yorker whose words have really stayed with all of us,” Mamdani, who was wearing a Knicks jersey over his dress shirt and tie, said with a chuckle. “And thanks to him, there are a lot of people who have just been running up to me over the last few weeks just shouting, ‘My mayor’s Muslim!’ I said, ‘It’s true. I am.’”

The viral fan chant, which originated as “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish, my Christian Dior, Knicks in four,” took on new life — and became something of a mantra in the Big Apple — as New Yorkers shouted out their hometown pride and stood united ahead of Game 5 Saturday night.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reacted to the viral ‘My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish’ chant while celebrating the Knicks’ historic NBA Championship (MS Now)

Mamdani noted that the viral chant “speaks to what the city is and even this team.”

Advertisement

“It’s not just a cookie cut out of the same thing again and again, it’s every single player having a role, bringing together all of the five boroughs in this moment. It’s truly a joy,” he added.

The mayor noted the high, electric energy that has been radiating in New York City as of late due to the Knicks’ historic run in the NBA finals and the World Cup. Thousands of New Yorkers gathered Saturday to take in the historic win, with many taking to the streets after to celebrate the team’s first victory since 1973.

“People have been waiting…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/zohran-mamdani-reacts-viral-york-173449530.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-06-14 17:34:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.