• The New York Knicks sent a cease-and-desist letter to NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani after his campaign used the team’s iconic logo in an advertisement aired during Wednesday’s season opener.
• Mamdani’s campaign modified the team’s orange and blue basketball logo to say “Zohran” instead of “Knicks” in an ad posted on social media with the caption “This is our year. This is our time.”
• The socialist assemblyman, who has faced accusations of anti-Semitism and defended the extremist slogan “globalize the intifada,” is the Democratic nominee in the November 4 election.

NEW YORK (TDR) — The New York Knicks delivered a swift legal rejection to Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in next month’s mayoral election, after his campaign appropriated the team’s trademarked logo for political advertising without permission.

The NBA franchise sent a cease-and-desist letter obtained by the New York Post demanding immediate removal of the intellectual property from all campaign materials. The team made clear in no uncertain terms that it does not endorse Mamdani’s candidacy for mayor.

Campaign ad sparks trademark violation accusations

Mamdani’s controversial advertisement aired during Wednesday night’s season opener between the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. The commercial featured footage of men playing basketball with narration declaring “New York, this is our year” and “We’ve struggled, we’ve had dreams dashed and hearts broken.”

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The 30-second spot concluded by flashing the team’s signature orange and blue basketball logo, but with “Zohran” replacing “Knicks.” The same modified logo appeared on Mamdani’s Instagram account, though it was removed by Friday after the legal threat.

“The NY Knicks have sent NYC Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani a cease-and-desist letter for using the NY Knicks logo to promote his candidacy,” a team spokesperson stated. “The Knicks want to make it clear that we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor, and we object to his use of our copyrighted logo.”

Legal letter warns of misleading public perception

The cease-and-desist letter argues the campaign advertisement is “likely to mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks.” The organization warned it would “pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights” if the violation continued.

Mamdani, 34, is a member of the New York State Assembly who identifies as a socialist and belongs to the Democratic Socialists of America. He secured the Democratic nomination despite facing repeated accusations of anti-Semitism throughout the campaign, including his defense earlier this year of the extremist phrase “globalize the intifada.”

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The candidate has leaned heavily into his Knicks fandom as a campaign strategy, airing advertisements during playoff games and conducting interviews with fans outside Madison Square Garden. He even opened Wednesday night’s mayoral debate by saying, “Thank you to New Yorkers for tuning in. I know you’d rather be watching the Knicks.”

Team has history of protecting trademark

The legal action follows the Knicks’ established pattern of aggressively defending intellectual property rights. Last year, the franchise successfully sued anonymous vendors selling bootleg merchandise outside Madison Square Garden, obtaining a temporary restraining order from a judge.

A spokesperson for Mamdani’s campaign told Bloomberg that “adjustments are being made to the ad and while the Knicks might not be able to publicly support our campaign, we’re proud to publicly support our NY Knicks.”

Knicks owner James Dolan has historically donated heavily in New York City elections but has largely stayed neutral in the mayoral race, instead backing Diana Florence for Manhattan district attorney. However, a political action committee funded by MSG Entertainment called The Coalition to Restore New York has run educational advertisements criticizing some of Mamdani’s proposed policies, including free public transportation.

Election enters final stretch

The November 4 mayoral election will determine who replaces outgoing Mayor Eric Adams. Mamdani faces Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election. The Democratic nominee remains the frontrunner despite the ongoing controversies surrounding his campaign and past statements.

The cease-and-desist letter represents an unusual intersection of professional sports, trademark law and New York City politics as the nation’s largest city prepares to select its next mayor.

Should professional sports teams remain completely neutral in political campaigns, or do they have the right to selectively enforce trademark protections based on candidate positions and controversies?

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