There is a different energy in New York City, now that the New York Knicks have finally made it back to the NBA Finals.
None other than New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani showed his excitement for what the Knicks have in store for their fans after the team won the swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Before unveiling a major housing proposal on Tuesday, Mamdani addressed the crowd with a little pop culture reference to highlight just how long New York waited for the Knicks to get this far in the NBA Playoffs.
“Good morning, my fellow New Yorkers. Let’s go Knicks,” Mamdani greeted the crowd.
“What you may have heard as I walked on was Ricky Martin’s Livin’ la Vida Loca, which was the number one song in the country the last time the Knicks were in the Finals.”
"Good morning my fellow New Yorkers. Let's go Knicks. What you may have heard as I walked on was Ricky Martin's Livin' la Vida Loca – which was the number one song in the country the last time the Knicks were in the finals."
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) May 26, 2026
— NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani pic.twitter.com/kdkFDVMBlJ
It has been that long indeed.
Mamdani did not mention it, but several players on the current New York roster weren’t even born yet when Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Marcus Camby and the Knicks went up against Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the San Antonio Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals.
San Antonio raised the Larry O’Brien Trophy that year and later won multiple NBA titles, while the Knicks faded just like Ricky Martin’s star over the years.
