Evan Roberts: And joining us right now, the mayor of New York City, Mayor Mamdani. Mr. Mayor, congratulations, you've only been in office for a few months, and now you get to reside over at championships. So, congratulations, sir.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani: I can take very little credit for this, but it's an incredible moment for the city. And I mean, we've been waiting for this for more than 50 years. It'll be the first ticker-tape parade in history for the Knicks.
Tiki Barber: Well, mayor, it's a pleasure to talk to you under the circumstances. But we have one question. We started something a couple of years ago. We kind of dug it out of the corner. You weren't mayor at the time. Dug it out the corner of one of the recesses of your, of your office. There is a king of New York, and we anointed it to be Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge has been the king. Can you on air declare Jalen Brunson the king of New York right now?
Mayor Mamdani: Absolutely. There is no question in my mind or in the minds of any New Yorker: Jalen Brunson is the king of New York.
Roberts: There you go. I love it. Mr. Mayor, how did you watch the game? I think that's going to be one of the stories everybody tells themselves for you. How did you consume this game and what were your emotions while watching this comeback?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I watched the first half of this game streaming on the way back from watching Brazil-Morocco at the New York-Jersey Stadium for the World Cup and got in in time for the second half at a bar in lower Manhattan with a bunch of friends, and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez also joined in. It was incredible to both be inside the bar watching the game and then right outside, it was being projected on a screen on like a five-second tape delay. So, you got to enjoy every shot twice.
Barber: No, that's, that's actually a cool way to see this, especially in New York, which had to be chaos. So, I'm in Georgia. As soon as the game is over, I'm like: "Honey, let's go get the kids. It's midnight. Let's go to bed." I went to bed. I don't think New York went to bed. What happened in New York after the Knicks won this?
Mayor Mamdani: Brother, I went to sleep at 3:45 in the morning, and that's on the earlier side, I think for most New Yorkers. And, you know, I think, [for] the vast majority of New York, [it] was just pure ecstasy and joy. There were people just out in the streets, in their neighborhoods. I mean, look, you, you guys know this better than most, but there's been so much heartbreak, so many near misses, so many what-ifs every year thinking it's the year, and then for it to actually happen? I mean, people were crying out in the streets, and it's a moment none of us will ever, ever forget.
Roberts: I don't know what to believe any more on social media. Was there violence? How were the streets overall of New York City after they won?
Mayor Mamdani: I would say for the vast majority of New Yorkers, they celebrated responsibly and appropriately. There were a few incidents that we saw where people behaved in an unacceptable manner. This is not the kind of conduct we want to see in our city. And I've said time and again that as we want New York to celebrate, to do so responsibly is critical because there's no tolerance for violence. There were few instances we saw of that. And I'm thankful to the men and women of our Police Department for keeping New Yorkers safe.
Barber: Yeah, they always do a fantastic job in New York, and you gotta be thankful for those men in blue. Now to the big, the important part. Tell us about the parade. We were speculating, is it gonna be on Tuesdays, is it going to be Wednesday? We now know it's gonna be Thursday, but give us the details and what can we expect? It's been a long time since my Giants won it back in 2011, since we've had a parade with one of the major four sports.
Mayor Mamdani: It really has. I mean, we're going to be hosting a ticker-tape parade, as you said, as well as the City Hall ceremony, honoring the team and awarding keys to the city on Thursday, as you said. It is, you know, as we talked about the first ticker-tape parade in Knicks' history, and frankly, it's a moment to honor a team that has brought the city together in a way that I think many of us have not seen in a long time, if ever. And we're to be releasing additional details, including how people can join the parade, the ceremony, over the next few days. But this is something that we truly cannot wait for to bring our city together along the Canyon of Heroes to celebrate this team, to celebrate their drive and to celebrate this moment.
Roberts: Any idea on how many people you expect to show up?
Mayor Mamdani: I would be a fool if I gave you a number. I can tell you that there are so many people that are thinking about this, people across the city and people who used to live in this city that wanna come back to the city. But we're hopeful of having numbers as we get closer to the date, but I can tell you the phone is ringing off the hook.
Roberts: I'm sure. We're talking to Mayor Mamdani. Are you and the owner of the Knicks, James Dolan, okay? Because you had the public squabble a few days ago on closing the area around Madison Square Garden. He was annoyed. You retorted. Have you guys spoken since? How is that relationship?
Mayor Mamdani: We have, and I would say that, you know, the focus is not on litigating the past, but on celebrating the present and giving New Yorkers a chance to do so for the future. And I think that it really just speaks to this team. This team is bringing people across the city together, and I don't think that there's anything that's going to stop a moment of joy and celebration this coming Thursday.
Barber: Another political question for you, because look. When you got elected mayor, President Trump was not - it didn't seem like he was one of your favorites, and he was - you were one of his.
Roberts: They're best friends now, T. Come on, man.
Barber: And then they go see him and it's like, all right, you guys are kind of cool with each other. And then you guys appear at Game Three and are not together, but you were both there. It feels like this relationship is, it's, it's political. It's complicated. It is what it is. It is kind of like any relationship. Did he reach out at all and is he planning on coming back at any point?
Mayor Mamdani: I'll keep the conversation to be the president and myself between the two of us. What I will say is, you know, among the many political differences that we do have, we are both New Yorkers. We both wanted to see the Knicks win the championship, and I think it speaks to the story of this team. They can bring people together that you'd never imagine. But it's truly been a pleasure, my friends, and I look forward to chatting with you soon, especially as more and more New Yorkers wake up today and realize that in fact last night, we were not dreaming.
Roberts: Is it true that you guys texted each other complaining about the officials? He thought it was rigged. You agreed with him. Like, take me through those private convos. Like, I kind of have a lot of confidence that that happened, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Mamdani: I gotta be honest, that's a little more fantasy than fact.
Roberts: Come on, now!
Mayor Mamdani: I'm sorry, brother.
Roberts: So, the parade is Thursday. The parade is [on] Thursday. No details on time, yet? Or are we assuming - I'm a veteran of parades with the Giant and Yankee parades. I figured it was like at 11 a.m. Are we looking at that kind of mid-morning start time for this parade on Thursday?
Mayor Mamdani: That's still something that we're going to release as soon as we have that information, we're gonna send that directly over to you as well.
Roberts: The other question I have - last one - is, why Thursday? Was the World Cup a factor in this? Was it giving guys maybe a couple of days? Because like Tiki mentioned at the top, we were all speculating about it. What led to the Thursday day as being the decision for you guys?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, one of the key parts of this was that we wanted to make sure that not only are the players here, but also their families are here. This is a moment that people have, they have been waiting for, and these players have been fighting for. And we don't want anyone to miss out on it because of a quick turnaround. And I can tell you both, you know, as a fan, you don't wanna jinx it as the mayor. You've got to prepare for the logistics, and we're excited for Thursday. I'm sorry my friends. I do have to jump, but it's been a real, real pleasure.
Barber: Appreciate you, Mayor Mamdani.
