Frank Isola: Hello, it's Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine. How are you this morning?
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: You know, I feel like I'm still on cloud nine, truly. How are you guys doing?
Isola: You know what? Now's a good time to run for re-election. The New York Knicks won a championship and it happened under your watch, so that would be—
Mayor Mamdani: If we were in Britain, we'd be doing a snap election right now.
Brian Scalabrine: Don't you have to tie that in? You know, we brought a championship back; it’s been 53 years. I’m the guy that got it done.
Mayor Mamdani: It’s just gonna be on the palm card for the re-elect.
Isola: So, tell us, what do you — I mean you gotta be thrilled because it's not every day we have a parade here in New York for a championship team. It hasn't happened in a while; obviously for the Knicks, it hasn't happened since ‘73. So, what are some of the things you got planned, and how excited are you for Thursday?
Mayor Mamdani: I mean, I can't even put it into words. You know, it's a funny thing. We all know the Knicks last won the championship in 1973, but they didn't actually get a ticker-tape parade then. They've never had one. So, this will be the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks history. And there is a chance that it could very well end up being the largest parade in city history, because it’s not just the fact we've been waiting for 53 years, but also what this team means to the city. I mean, there are people who've been watching the finals who watched every game for decades. There are others [where] this was the first time they were watching the Knicks, you know, this week, last week [or the] week before. And Thursday, it's gonna be a beautiful fulfillment of all of that hope and that excitement. And it's going to start at 10 a.m. Though, I will say, get there as early as you can. We're telling people two hours before, but you know, it’s not gonna be problem if it's three. And it’s gonna start at Battery Park, and we're gonna move our way up until we have a ceremony at City Hall.
Scalabrine: What goes into a parade? Like, you know, I mean, I can't imagine. Have you guys been working on this already, even before the finals are over?
Mayor Mamdani: Yes, it is a funny thing to be a fan as the mayor because personally you don't want to jinx it but logistically you have to prepare. So, we have had — the team at City Hall has been working with the Knicks organization to make sure that we're ready for this because this is a joint partnership of putting this on.
And you have the incredible amount of work that city workers will do for a parade that they've already been doing and preparing. But even just the ticker tape itself, you know, it's city workers who are throwing this out onto the street, and we're anticipating a level of excitement that we haven't seen in quite some time for a parade, and we're ready for it.
Isola: All right, so we're joined now by Mayor Mamdani, the mayor of New York City. He's a huge sports guy; like my son, you're a big Arsenal fan. Arsenal won the Premier League a few weeks ago. Now you get the Knicks winning. So, just tell us about your Knick fandom, because I had seen videos of your previous years attending games. So how long were you a Knicks fan? And you're one of the few people to actually pay for your tickets, which is impressive as well. Just tell us a bit about your Knicks fandom.
Mayor Mamdani: Well, you know, I went to my first game, I think it was in 2009. I went to the next one; the one that I really remember was in 2011. I saw Toney Douglas hit what was a franchise record-tying threes in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies and Hamed Haddadi on the court. And I remember coming out of that and just feeling like the city was alive.
And to go from then to now. I mean, the journey is one that many Knicks fans know very well themselves. It's been hope, it's been heartbreak, it's been telling yourself that every year is the year. And now to actually be here, I mean, I feel like I wanna watch Saturday night's game all over again because it's still hard to believe.
Scalabrine: You know, I can totally see how the City of New York can rally around a guy like Jalen Brunson. I mean, the idea that Dallas didn't want him in the second-round pick and, you know, a lot of people didn't think he'd be able to lead a team to a championship. How much do you look at the City of New York and Jalen Brunson in that symbiotic relationship?
Mayor Mamdani: I think it's as you said; part of the reason why it means so much to people is that his is also a story of being overlooked, a story of being undervalued, a story of always describing him with a caveat in the sentence. And there are so many New Yorkers who live that same life, and they may not be on the court, but they know what it means to have someone look at them and look and feel as if they're looking right through them and right past them.
And I think that it's not just “Captain Clutch,” it's so many of the players on this team, whether we're talking about KAT, whether we are talking about Jose Alvarado. Each of them represents what we love about our city. And they are that gorgeous mosaic that David Dinkins spoke about in the early 90s. And they're on the court, and they're bringing this whole city to its feet.
Isola: Mr. Mayor, you do debates, you do speeches. I wonder if you're feeling a little bit of pressure here because it's a sports thing as well, and I have one little idea for you that I think will go over well.
Mayor Mamdani: Hit me. Hit me.
Isola: You mention that a lot of people are now saying Jalen Brunson for president, and I completely agree with that. I don't want him running for mayor. He may be too difficult to beat. So, “Brunson for president.” That'll go over big with the crowd.
Mayor Mamdani: I gotta be honest, I was actually gonna lean into the monarchy and say, you know, Brunson is king of New York but just don't contest an election.
Isola: That's great. One last thing, Mr. Mayor, we appreciate your time. Cavalier Johnson, the mayor of Milwaukee a couple of years ago, gave Brian and myself a day in Milwaukee. So, I know that the Knicks are getting a key to the city, but maybe down the road, would you consider maybe something for me and Brian even though Brian's a Celtics fan—
Mayor Mamdani: Yeah, I was gonna say that the difference is that, you know, we feel a little bit differently about Celtics fans and former players here in New York City, but I will be taking this back to the team and letting you all know.
Scalabrine: You guys have taken a lot of L's from the Celtics over these years; just enjoy it right now.
Mayor Mamdani: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Isola: Mr. Mayor, we really appreciate it. Congratulations. Have fun on Thursday, and now you can get back to doing, I guess, more important things than talking basketball with two guys on radio. But we really appreciate the time and thank your Press Office as well.
Mayor Mamdani: No, absolutely. It's a real pleasure to be on and hope to get a chance to say hello in person some point soon. All the best.
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