The Kid Mero: Listen, summer has officially kicked off. The Knicks are champions and here to talk about it is the mayor of New York City, our guy, Zohran Mamdani. Yo, Zo, man, how you doing brother? How are we feeling this morning?
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: I feel like I'm living on cloud nine, there's no other way to talk about it.
Mero: Come on. Two of your favorite franchises have broken decade-long streaks of misery. How does that feel?
Mayor Mamdani: I mean, [if] you put it together, it's 75 years of waiting. Twenty-two years for Arsenal, 53 years for the Knicks. And now, I mean grown men are crying in the streets, as they should be. The people have been waiting for this for so long.
Mero: Fam, yeah. It's been crazy; the stories from around the city all the video clips of people just like- it's a beautiful thing to see the energy in the cities off the charts. I know that you stay outside, so I know you are seeing it firsthand. You know, you were either shoveling snow, filling a pothole, [or] getting a cat out of a tree. You know, I'm saying dancing to Bad Bunny at Locksmith [Bar], you [are] everywhere.
Mayor Mamdani: I think, you know, it feels like a moment where New Yorkers, they don't just want to be at home alone watching this on their own. They want to be out in the city that they love. And that's the thing that I, you can't really say thank you enough to this team because when Landry Shamet hits a three, you're not just hugging the person next to you whose name you know, you're hugging anybody around you. That's what this team has given this city.
Mero: And shout out to you for putting the game on all the LinkNYC screens, bro that was brilliant, you know what I'm saying?
Mayor Mamdani: Oh, thank you. I mean, we want to bring the game to everybody. And I think, you saw New Yorkers who were watching this at bars, you saw the New Yorkers who were watching this projected onto a wall. You saw New Yorkers opening up their trunk and putting up a 30-inch TV and people crowding around. People are going to watch wherever they can. And we wanted to make sure that we have these kiosks around the city. We put more than 100 of them, put the game on, and want to make it easy for people.
Mero: Yes, sir. Listen, it reminded me of the O.J. trial back in the day when they had the TVs on and like Crazy Eddie's and the Wiz and stuff like - yo, I know you remember that. Listen, so we had got some callers, right? Some questions for some callers. Sharon from Nanuet wants to know can you move the parade to Sunday so that the weather is good, number one? And number two - that's number one - and number two, can you make Charles Oakley the grand marshal?
Mayor Mamdani: Look, [the] parade's on Thursday. Parade is starting at 10 a.m. I'm encouraging everyone to get there as early as they can. You know, I've seen suggestions of at least two hours before because I think, we all know, that this could end up being the largest parade in New York City history. And in terms of guest lists and marshals and everything like that, I'm not going to make any commitments on air because everybody is calling and texting for these same tickets.
Mero: May I humbly suggest - we talked about this earlier, may we humbly suggest Jose Alvarado, who is, like I said earlier on the air, a walking bacon, egg and cheese.
Mayor Mamdani: Shout out to GTA.
Mero: For real.
Mayor Mamdani: Shout out the GTA. What a man. You know, I had the privilege of standing with him on a float at the Knickerbocker Parade yesterday, and I mean he is this city. He grew up in the city. He loves this city. He reps this city. And even that spin move, you know, in the Finals, it is this City.
Mero: Yeah, he is. He is - if somebody was like, "Yo, draw a New Yorker from memory," you draw Jose Alvarado.
Mayor Mamdani: We were on the float, and these guys tried to get my attention and I'm waving, they're like: "No, no. Jose, Jose." And I tap him on the shoulder, and he makes eye contact with somebody in the crowd and they're trying to offer him Henny and he's like: "I'm good."
Mero: I'm good! He's staying on his [Vitamin] D. Come on, Zohran. You know what time it is. Okay, listen, me and Belle is here, you know what I'm saying? She got a little question for you as well.
Miabelle: Oh yes, I do, because we know the World Cup is happening. So, of course, we need some update what's going on ahead of the Morning Pitch.
Mayor Mamdani: So, you know, we had our first game that we hosted in New York-New Jersey, with Brazil-Morocco on Saturday, which was a 1-1 draw. And then we are going to have our second game tomorrow, which is Senegal-France, and it is - obviously many are very, very excited about the game, especially if you're at 125th Street. I know the Senegalese community has been waiting for this for a long time.
Miabelle: Yes.
Mayor Mamdani: And what we're encouraging everybody to do is that if they haven't yet got their tickets of how they're going to get to the game, we encourage everyone to not only use mass transit, but also, specifically, New Jersey Transit is one of the quickest ways to get there and back. The difference with this game is it's going to be earlier in the afternoon. So, you will really feel the gridlock in the way back because of traffic.
Miabelle: Okay, that's good to know.
Mero: Very important, you know what I'm saying? Do like an immigrant parent and leave for the airport six hours early. You know what I'm saying?
Kazeem Famuyide: Oh, and last but certainly not least: I know it's going to be one of the biggest parades in New York. Do you have at least space for maybe four or five Hot 97 radio personalities to possibly squeeze in?
Miabelle: You know, the best morning show in the world?
Famuyide: You won't even notice us, man, because we'll just play the bat.
Mayor Mamdani: The signal's breaking up, I'm not sure. I can't really hear you. The championship too loud.
Famuyide: I get it, I get it. We will see you [on] Thursday, Mr. Mayor.
Mero: We'll see you on Thursday. I'll be covered in confetti. You know what I'm saying? And not much else.
Mayor Mamdani: I appreciate you guys.
Mero: Thank you, thank you. Yo, New York City, your mayor: Zohran Mamdani!
