New York Knicks owner James Dolan refused to applaud a powerful speech by Zohran Mamdani as part of the franchise’s title celebrations.

Dolan and the Knicks were formally awarded the Keys to the City during a post-parade ceremony at New York City Hall on Thursday afternoon, with Mamdani on hand to present the honor. The event followed jubilant celebrations earlier in the day, as millions of New Yorkers lined the streets to watch the Knicks parade through the Canyon of Heroes after securing their first NBA championship in 53 years.

Fans were so excited that they broke through a barricade near Broadway, overwhelmed by the scale of the celebrations as thousands poured into the streets. Officials moved quickly to maintain order and ensure the safety of players and spectators, as New Yorkers turned out in force to celebrate the team’s championship triumph.

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Mamdani delivered a roughly eight-minute speech in which he reflected on the franchise’s history, the long road to the championship, and the difficult seasons that preceded it. He highlighted the persistence and resilience required to finally end New York’s half a century title drought, framing the victory as the result of years of perseverance and belief.

Dolan did not join in the applause for Mamdani’s speech, remaining expressionless for the majority of the speech. His reaction hasn’t gone down well on social media. “It’s ok. Can’t please everyone. But absolutely zero people are impressed with Dolan. He’s a tool” said one fan while another added: “His own team likes mamdani more that Dolan”.

The Knicks owner later took a swipe at the New York mayor. “I don’t need your vote. I don’t need to quote to you what happened. If you’re real Knick fans you know it already,” Dolan said.

One of the more intriguing subplots of the Knicks’ historic title run has been the strained relationship between Dolan and Mamdani. Despite the pair eventually sharing a handshake during the City Hall ceremony on parade day, underlying tensions appeared to linger even amid the formalities of the occasion.

While presenting Dolan with the key to the city, Mamdani turned to the crowd and smiled, keeping his hand on the symbolic honour as the ceremony unfolded.

Dolan, however, did not appear to acknowledge the moment in the same direction as the mayor, instead keeping his head down before returning to his seat.

The exchange came after a tense NBA Finals backdrop, during which Mamdani and the NYPD temporarily halted watch parties and large gatherings outside Madison Square Garden when U.S. President Donald Trump attended Game 3 as a guest of Dolan, a close friend of his.

Despite that friction, the pair were seen to have reached a form of reconciliation after New York secured its first NBA title in more than 50 years — a moment of relief for Dolan, who has owned the franchise since 1999, and celebration for Mamdani, a lifelong Knicks supporter.