Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani following the mayor‘s appearance at the New York Knicks championship parade. Portnoy argued that Mamdani’s public support for the team was politically motivated and reflected what he viewed as the growing overlap between politics and sports. He also referenced a previous interview in which Mamdani was unable to name any Knicks player other than Jalen Brunson.
Dave Portnoy calls out Zohran Mamdani for his speech
Dave Portnoy was less than impressed by Zohran Mamdani’s viral moment at the New York Knicks championship parade. While the Mayor drew praise after speaking during the Knicks’ City Hall celebration, Portnoy disagreed with the reaction. He believed it was another unnecessary amalgamation of politics and sports.
Right after the parade, the Barstool Sports founder made his feelings clear on X. Alongside an image of an article describing Mamdani’s inability to name one Knicks player other than Jalen Brunson, Portnoy shared his reaction on X. He wrote, “I don’t get why people are impressed by a guy who is good at reading other people’s speeches. He’s a professional actor.”
He continued his rant, “People slobbering all over Mandami. I get that politicians always try to make sports about them and use it to their advantage, so I guess you can’t blame Mandami for hogging the spotlight.”
Portnoy brought the focus back to Mamdani’s lack of knowledge on the subject. He added, “But dude couldn’t name 1 player besides Brunson when asked during a debate last year. Now he’s a super fan? I think it speaks to how inauthentic he is and how dumb people are who slurp it up. That’s just me, though.”
The comment section of this post was divided between those who believed Portnoy had a valid point and those who supported NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Anyhow, New York remains in a celebratory mood after the Knicks won the NBA championship after decades.
