Texas Gov. Greg Abbott jumped into the NBA Finals trash talk Monday, June 1, posting an AI-generated photo on X that showed him in a San Antonio Spurs jersey scoring on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul — dressed as a Knick — with President Donald Trump smiling courtside.
Hochul didn’t let it go. The Buffalo native, who is widely known as more of a Bills and Sabres fan than a basketball devotee, fired back by pointing to the transgender sports debate.
“I was actually surprised to see the president and Governor Abbott — with their memes of me, they’re dunking me on the court — that they’re supportive of men and women competing in the same sport,” she told reporters.
The meme war
Abbott’s post followed a separate AI video put out by Bruce Blakeman, Hochul’s general election opponent, showing Blakeman dribbling around both Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In that version, Blakeman suits up for the Knicks while Hochul and Mamdani are cast on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The dueling AI shots came as the NYPD was simultaneously dealing with very real headaches tied to the NBA Finals — one of several massive events hitting New York City this summer alongside the FIFA World Cup, America’s 250th birthday festivities, a large sailing event, and annual parades. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told the City Council’s finance and public safety committees Monday that overtime costs for all of it will run roughly $92 million, with about a $20 million shortfall after federal and city funds cover the rest.
Tisch didn’t hide her concern about the scale of watch parties Mayor Mamdani wants to host across all five boroughs for the World Cup — including events like soccer on the beach. “We would like to facilitate a lot, perhaps we will be able to facilitate everything — but there will be a lot of celebrating in New York City,” she said, stressing the department’s limited resources.
Officers will be placed on mandatory 12-hour shifts from July 1 through July 7, a stretch Tisch said Monday may need to be extended. Whether the city can close that $20 million gap before the summer kicks off hasn’t been answered.
Originally reported by Politico. Read the original report.
