Curtis Sliwa Backs Mayor Mamdani in Tension with Knicks Owner Dolan: "I'm Coming After You!"

Former Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa has thrown his support behind New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in the ongoing dispute with Knicks owner James Dolan. This conflict escalated as Mamdani announced an outdoor watch party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, taking place at Madison Square Garden. The previous watch party for Game 3 had to be scrapped due to increased security measures related to former President Donald Trump's visit.

In a statement, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. criticized Mamdani and the NYPD for restricting the watch party to only 1,000 attendees, claiming the mayor had transformed the area into a “police state.” In response, Mamdani clarified that MSG had requested a permit for just 1,000 fans, which the city subsequently approved. A local journalist noted that the permit application allowed for requests of up to 10,000 attendees. The mayor also disclosed that Dolan was responsible for the complete cancellation of the watch party.

Sliwa expressed his disdain for Dolan in a recent online video, recalling a time when Dolan was widely disliked in New York. He remarked, “Before the Knicks’ championship run against the San Antonio Spurs, the most hated, loathed person in New York was Jimmy Dolan. People hate him; and now, everybody is lifting him up and saying... ‘You’re the party pooper!’” He further vowed, “Jimmy Dolan, I’m coming after you! Now, for sure, I’ll have the mayor on my side to make you pay your property taxes — $48 million a year!”

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between city officials and sports franchise owners, as public events continue to be affected by security and regulatory decisions.