New York politicians have decided the NBA Finals are too good a photo op to pass up — and Texas officials are getting dragged into it whether they asked to be or not.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand put up slices of Joe’s Pizza and Brooklyn Lager against Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with Texas BBQ on the line if the Knicks don’t win. Rep. Nick LaLota is wagering a 6-foot hero against a Texas congressman. And the New York City Council challenged the San Antonio City Council to a bagels-versus-breakfast-tacos bet tied to the series.
Abbott’s countermove
Gov. Greg Abbott made his position clear before any bet could be struck with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul — he posted an AI-generated image of himself dunking on her. Hochul promptly closed the door on any friendly wager with Texas after that.
She didn’t exactly go quiet, though. At a press conference Thursday, Hochul said she’s fully locked in on the Finals. “I’m fired up,” she said. “I’m excited about this. I’m a huge sports fan, whatever it is. If there’s a ball involved, I love it.”
Back in New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has been the most aggressive about grafting his brand onto the Knicks run. He starred in a Game 1 commercial featuring his three favored congressional candidates passing the ball around. He drafted a mock executive order letting kids stay up past their bedtimes to watch the games. He invited San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama to the next Charter Revision Commission meeting. He commissioned Knicks-themed art for City Hall’s rotunda and steps — and Thursday he confirmed he’ll be at Monday night’s game, buying his own ticket.
President Donald Trump also plans to attend Game 2. Mamdani, asked if he’d sit with Trump or meet with him that night, wouldn’t say. “I’ll keep the nature of those conversations between the two of us,” he told 1010 WINS.
Matt Rey, a Democratic operative with Red Horse Strategies, said the political pile-on isn’t accidental. “It’s really hard to reach people on anything live now, except for sports, and this is the height of it,” Rey said. “Any way that you can advertise during, before, after games in the finals is the best chance you have to reach the most amount of Democratic primary voters, bar none.”
His warning to politicians thinking about jumping in late: “Don’t be a bandwagon fan.”
Originally reported by Politico. Read the original report.
