Zohran Mamdani hilariously blames Trae Young over ticket prices

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Zachary Draves, ClutchPoints | Last updated Apr 16, 2026 8:49 PM ET

The New York Knicks are once again in the postseason. On Saturday, they will face off against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. This time around, they got a new face amongst the throngs of bigwigs at Madison Square Garden wanting to see the orange and blue. They got their new Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

As the Knicks prepare to take on the Hawks, Mayor Mamdani used the moment to shed light on his pressing issue: affordability, particularly ticket prices. In a speech, Mamdani name-dropped former Hawk Trae Young as the scapegoat for why prices are high.

“I would say that I blame Trae Young… and I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young,” he said.

Zohran Mamdani, when asked about the high cost of Knicks playoff tickets vs Atlanta: "I would say that I blame Trae Young… and I think it's always important to blame Trae Young"

Via: https://t.co/E7EN07I2QX pic.twitter.com/4YG37kvdD1

— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) April 16, 2026

In January, Young was traded to the Washington Wizards after eight years with the Hawks.

During the campaign for Mayor, Mamdani was criticized by fans for using the Knicks logo in campaign ads. He was elected on November 4, 2025.

On January 1, Mamdani was inaugurated. In fact, Jalen Brunson got a shoutout at the inauguration. He ran on a platform of affordability and has made it a central focus of his short political career.

In fact, Mamdani has weighed in on that matter as it relates to sports.

Last October, he addressed ticket prices for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

Altogether, the Knicks finished the season at 53-29 and are the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Meanwhile, the Hawks finished at 46-36.

Last year, New York lost a tough seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series to the Indiana Pacers.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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