Hochul, Mamdani react to Knicks win
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani both weighed in on the Knicks victory at the Puerto Rican Day parade in Manhattan on Sunday morning.
Hochul, surrounded by revelers on Fifth Avenue, many sporting Puerto Rican flags or playing congas and reggaeton, called the Knicks’ championship victory “the quintessential New York story.”
“This is an extraordinary day for all New Yorkers, whether you're Puerto Rican or not. We are all Knicks fans in this state and in this country right now,” she said, adding the team's journey to the top was “unstoppable, unrelenting, unbeatable and ultimately, unbelievable.”
Hochul said she had watched the Knicks’ 1973 championship, the last time the team won. When pressed, she said her favorite Knick is MVP Jalen Brunson.
Several fans at the parade wore the #5 jersey of Knicks star Jose Alvarado, who is of Puerto Rican descent and grew up in Brooklyn.
Mamdani, who wore a Josh Hart jersey under his trademark black suit in the 85-degree heat, said: “I think most New Yorkers woke up this morning asking themselves, ‘Was last night real?’ And it is a beautiful answer to say, 'Yes. Yes it was.' "
Mamdani said there will be a ceremony at City Hall to present the keys to the city as part of the Knicks’ victory parade on Thursday.
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