Some NBA fans are calling out New York City’s mayor after he made what some are calling a “weak” response to San Antonio Spurs fans being harassed by New York Knicks fans.
The response comes after videos from the scene near Madison Square Garden on Monday, June 8, went viral online. Chaos erupted in Midtown after the Spurs came out on top against the Knicks with a final score of 115-111. According to CBS, clips showed people wearing Spurs shirts being yelled at and escorted through town by police, and a group of individuals ripping a jersey off a man walking near 47th Street and Eighth Avenue.
“We’ll win this series on the court (even if the refs refuse to call a flagrant on Wemby), not by targeting, harassing, or attacking Spurs fans,” Mayor Mamdani’s post on X.com read. “Knicks in 5.”
It’s been a tense few days in the Big Apple. Social media posts showed sports fans crowding the hotel where the Spurs were staying, shouting insults at the players and throwing drinks at someone wearing San Antonio merch as they ran away. Local announcer Jacob Tobey even recalled being cussed out and booed by others in New York this week.
“Weak,” Texas lawyer Evan Santos replied in a comment to Mayor Mamdani. “Spurs fans were harassed and assaulted after the game, and the mayor’s response is a punchline plus ‘Knicks in 5.’ Condemn it clearly or don’t pretend this is about respect.”
Another San Antonio resident, Laura Mayes, wrote that the tweet would incite more anger in New Yorkers.
“Disappointing response here,” Mayes said. Do a better job of keeping fans safe, no matter who they cheer for.”
Others have noted that Knicks fans were not treated as poorly during their visits to the Lone Star State. Among them was actor Jerry O’Connell, who was in town last week for the Frost Bank Center games.
“This is a total bummer. I went to San Antonio, for Game 1, ALONE, in a lightweight-Knicks-collared-shirt and was treated with absolute kindness,” O’Connell wrote in a post on X.com on Wednesday, June 10. “Really hope @NYCMayor responds appropriately.”
Meanwhile, local Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones issued a warning to identifiable Spurs fans in New York via an X.com post on Wednesday, June 9. She called the behavior “unfortunate” and emphasized that “this is a time for us to celebrate and uplift our teams and cheer them on to victory.”
“I hope that we could continue to do that with class and safely,” Ortiz concluded. “To our fans in New York, walk in groups, stay aware and look after one another … You traveled to cheer on your team, and you deserve to come home safely.”
The Spurs play the Knicks in Game 4 on Wednesday, June 10, at Madison Square Garden.