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Knicks issue cease-and-desist over lookalike campaign logo

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Jun 27, 2026 3:15 PM ET

Winning over voters is one thing. Winning over the Knicks? That’s apparently another story.

According to the New York Post, the Knicks have sent a cease-and-desist letter to New York state Senate candidate Aber Kawas, accusing her campaign of using an unauthorized version of the team’s iconic logo.

Madison Square Garden Sports claims the campaign adopted the Knicks’ familiar orange-and-blue color scheme, basketball graphic and lettering style, replacing only the team name with Kawas’ own.

In the letter, Knicks attorney Brian N. Warner wrote that neither the organization nor the NBA authorized use of the logo and argued it could falsely suggest the team had endorsed the campaign.

“The Campaign’s activities … constitute, among other things, trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition,” the letter states, according to the Post.

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani previously received a similar cease-and-desist letter after using a modified Knicks logo in a campaign advertisement that was later pulled.

Kawas won this week’s Democratic primary for a Queens state Senate seat. But at least for now, it appears she won’t be winning any points from Madison Square Garden.

This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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