Category: Sports News

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared his reaction to the viral rhyme that starts “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish” and celebrates the New York Knicks ending their 53-year NBA championship drought.

Mamdani, 34, was asked about the viral rhyme Sunday morning during an interview with MS Now’s Jacob Soboroff, hours after the Knicks overcame a 16-point deficit in game five of the NBA Finals, sealing their victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Soboroff played the viral clip of MD Ahnaf Hossain, the originator of the rhyme, exclaiming: “My mayor’s still Muslim, my bagel’s still Jewish, even the Pope’s on our side, Knicks in five!”

“He is a New Yorker whose words have really stayed with all of us,” Mamdani, who was wearing a Knicks jersey over his dress shirt and tie, said with a chuckle. “And thanks to him, there are a lot of people who have just been running up to me over the last few weeks just shouting, ‘My mayor’s Muslim!’ I said, ‘It’s true. I am.’”

The viral fan chant, which originated as “My mayor’s Muslim, my bagel’s Jewish, my Christian Dior, Knicks in four,” took on new life — and became something of a mantra in the Big Apple — as New Yorkers shouted out their hometown pride and stood united ahead of Game 5 Saturday night.

Mamdani noted that the viral chant “speaks to what the city is and even this team.”

“It’s not just a cookie cut out of the same thing again and again, it’s every single player having a role, bringing together all of the five boroughs in this moment. It’s truly a joy,” he added.

The mayor noted the high, electric energy that has been radiating in New York City as of late due to the Knicks’ historic run in the NBA finals and the World Cup. Thousands of New Yorkers gathered Saturday to take in the historic win, with many taking to the streets after to celebrate the team’s first victory since 1973.

“People have been waiting for this for 53 years. And there have been so many heartbreaks, so many near misses, so many years every year where we have told ourselves it's the year,” Mamdani said. “And for it to actually happen now, I mean, there's nothing more we can ask for as New Yorkers.”

“ It's honestly a beautiful thing,” he added.

“I was reading a piece this morning that really wrote about it quite beautifully, where it said that oftentimes this kind of unity comes in moments of tragedy. And to see it coming now, in a moment of joy, it's something that I have never seen before across our city, where the nation's largest city has become what feels like the world's smallest town, where everyone is thinking and hoping and praying for the same thing,” he added.

Several notable quotes from the viral fan chant have been replicated on hats and T-shirts. It has also been declared “pure New York City poetry” by The New York Times. Meanwhile, the man who went viral for the championship mantra, 23-year-old Hossain, told the Washington Post it was about unifying the city at a crucial time.

“I grew up with Jews, Muslims, Haitians, Pakistanis, Bengalis,” Hossain said. “I just had to bring everyone together.”

Meanwhile, other Knicks fans rattled off their own spin on the viral fan chant online.

“My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish, my Saturday Night Live, Knicks in five,” one fan riffed on the original.

Another person mused: “My mayor Muslim, my bagel Jewish, my cream cheese chive, Knicks in five.”

Even the official New York Knicks account shared their take on the viral chant, writing, “NEW YORK FOREVER, WE DID THIS TOGETHER, THE CITY'S ALIVE, KNICKS IN FIVE.”

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As soon as the confetti hit the ground in San Antonio last night, it was time to look ahead to a new set of NBA Championship odds. 

And while the Spurs fell short in these NBA Finals, the NBA odds board has high hopes for Victor Wembanyama and the rest of this talented young core moving forward, listing San Antonio as a +250 favorite to win in 2027.

It remains a tight field, though, with three more teams listed with odds shorter than 7/1. We break it all down below.

🏆 Opening 2026-27 NBA Championship odds

Team
Spurs	+250
Thunder	+260
Celtics	+550
Knicks	+650
Pacers	+2800
Nuggets	+2800
Cavaliers	+3000
Pistons	+3000
Lakers	+3000
Timberwolves	+3000
Heat	+4000
Warriors	+4500

Odds updated as of 6-14, courtesy of bet365, one of our best betting sites. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.

📈 2026-27 NBA Championship favorites

San Antonio Spurs (+250)

Despite falling flat in this year's NBA Finals, it's easy to see that the San Antonio Spurs' best days are ahead of them.

The young core of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle will surely improve, and the team has now gotten a glimpse of what is needed to win at the highest level. As +250 solo favorites, they won't be sneaking up on anyone this year.

Oklahoma City Thunder (+260)

Injuries to key contributors made the Oklahoma City Thunder's title defense much harder than it would have appeared during the season, and yet OKC managed to go up 2-1 and 3-2 over the Spurs before flaming out in the Western Conference Finals.

The core of back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren remains, and if J-Dub can get back to playing regularly, this team will flirt with 70 wins for a third straight regular season and be a threat to hoist the Larry O'Brien for a second time.

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Boston Celtics (+550)

Jayson Tatum's late return from injury in time for a title run last season proved to be fool's gold, as the Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in Round 1.

But with Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumours starting to swirl, not much has to happen for Boston to regain title contender status.

New York Knicks (+650)

Some may see the New York Knicks listed fourth and see that as disrespectful to the champs, but for as beloved as this team became over the last two months, the comeback magic can't be sustainable.

They were down double-digits in four of five Finals games, and a more experienced opponent would have been able to withstand New York's comeback runs, but if we've learned anything, it's that anything is possible when Jalen Brunson is on your side.

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It’s over. Officially, it’s over. The season ended 48 days ago for the Phoenix Suns, but now the league itself has reached the finish line as the NBA Finals have concluded.

So what does that mean? It means the transaction season can truly begin. It means conversations can turn into negotiations, negotiations can turn into agreements, and front offices around the league can begin executing their plans for the 2026-27 season.

The first important date is June 29, the deadline for all team and player option decisions. The Suns have two players with team options, although Ryan Dunn’s option was exercised last October. That leaves Jamaree Bouyea, who is set to earn $2.6 million next season if Phoenix picks up his option. Should the Suns exercise it, they would still maintain flexibility. Bouyea’s contract remains non-guaranteed until January 10, 2027, when it becomes fully guaranteed. But the decision on whether to pick up the option must be made by June 29.

The next key date is June 30. At 3:00 p.m. Arizona time, teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents. That said, the Suns can already begin having conversations with their own free agents now that the season has officially concluded.

There are four internal free agents worth monitoring.

Jordan Goodwin and Collin Gillespie are both eligible for new deals, with Phoenix holding Early Bird Rights on each player. Amir Coffey enters free agency as an unrestricted free agent with Non-Bird Rights attached. Then there’s Mark Williams, a restricted free agent whose qualifying offer sits at $9.6 million. Phoenix possesses his Bird Rights, giving the organization flexibility in how it approaches negotiations.

Now that the Finals are over and we’re nine days away from the NBA Draft, those internal discussions can begin in earnest. The front office can start moving the ball forward as it prepares for next season.

The assumption is that retaining Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin will be among Phoenix’s top priorities this offseason. Both players became integral parts of the culture and identity the Suns worked to establish last season, and bringing them back would provide another layer of continuity moving forward.

We’ll know soon enough whether common ground can be found and what those contracts ultimately look like. The offseason is officially here. The draft is around the corner. Free agency isn’t far behind. And the Suns can finally begin laying the foundation for what comes next.

Stay tuned to Bright Side of the Sun all offseason long. We’ll be here breaking it all down, offering our opinions, overanalyzing every rumor, and doing what we always do this time of year, trying to figure out how to fix the Phoenix Suns.

Much has been made of where Jalen Brunson ranks in the pantheon of current NBA stars. References to his status as a “1A” player have been debated constantly over the past several years. 

As the champagne dries and the cigar smoke clears in the road locker room in San Antonio on Sunday, Brunson has proven the doubters wrong. A 45-point masterpiece in the championship clincher was the end of a marvelous 16-3 playoff run for Brunson. The former second-round pick won NBA Finals MVP after leading the New York Knicks to a 4-1 NBA Finals win against the San Antonio Spurs. This is the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.

Since his arrival in the 2022 offseason, Brunson has reinvigorated the Knicks. His original four-year, $104 million contract was thought to be an overpay. It’s been everything but that.

From 2001 to 2022, New York won exactly one playoff series. It only took Brunson two years to eclipse that mark. New York’s 2023 run was where the possibilities of a championship team began. The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round but fell to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat in six games.

Hidden behind that painful loss was Brunson’s elite performance. The guard averaged 31.0 points on 50.4 percent from the field and 6.3 assists against a frenetic Heat defense that threw zones, blitzes, and traps Brunson’s way. However, it wasn’t enough. Brunson had 41 points in the last game, but Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, New York’s second and third scoring options respectively, struggled in the series closer, shooting a combined 4-for-24 from the field.

The right group

It was that point where the Knicks front office, led by Leon Rose, knew it had a special player. But the club had to figure out how to find the right mix of defense, perimeter shooting and secondary offensive creation around Brunson. 

Soon came big bets from New York. Early in the following season, the Knicks dealt homegrown first-round picks Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby. Then came the 2024 offseason acquisitions of Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Knicks went all-in with these moves, famously handing over five first round picks for Bridges and dealing key cogs Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick, to land Towns.

Adding Anunoby and Bridges gave New York two very good corner three-point shooters, who, along with Josh Hart, created a three-headed monster of wings capable of guarding multiple positions. Towns was the second offensive option, a center who could create his own offense, but could also space the floor and create space for Brunson to operate.

After a loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025, the final tweak came at head coach with the firing of Tom Thibodeau and the subsequent hiring of Mike Brown. 

All of these moves have come with the intention of maximizing the Brunson window. New York also hit on smaller deals like adding Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet over the last couple of years. They all paid off throughout this playoff run. 

Offensive engine

Brunson is an offense unto himself, which leads to teams bending their defense to stop him. During this postseason, he averaged 1.09 points per possession in isolation according to NBA Stats, the second-highest number for any player that averaged at least 3.0 isolation possessions.

In these NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs tried everything to slow down the All-Star point guard. Much like that Miami team from a few years ago, there were full-court presses, traps and double teams. There was also 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama lurking by the basket on nearly every possession.

But this time, the teammates New York added around Brunson over the past couple of years were able to take advantage of the extended Spurs defense. Those same double teams created hockey assist opportunities. Shooters like Anunoby, Bridges and Landry Shamet all thrived from that. Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in in Game Four came off Brunson shooting as a double-team approached from the Spurs’ Wembayama and De’Aaron Fox.

Brunson and the Knicks’ relationship has been built on trust. The Knicks have done everything to build a contender that fits around the point guard. And Brunson has sacrificed, signing a four-year, $156.5 million extension in 2024 instead of waiting for a projected five-year, $269 million deal in 2025, a $113 million difference.

With Brunson on the roster, the Knicks will always have a fighting chance. And the belief in the guard will make the team do whatever it takes to compete for more titles going forward.

The Lakers are once again dealing with LeBron James summer drama, which has become an annual tradition at this point. However, with James being an unrestricted free agent, this isn’t an offseason where we can all just laugh at the passive aggressiveness.

Come the start of free agency, LeBron will no longer be a Laker and action from both sides will be required for him to return. Los Angeles has made it clear they want James back, but they aren’t the only ones interested in having LeBron on their team next year.

On a recent episode of the “Pat McAfee Show,” LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, spoke about the interest teams across the league have shown ahead of free agency.

Now, always take what an agent says with a grain of salt. Even McAfee acknowledged that it’s in Paul’s best interest to go with a high number for interested teams as it makes things sound better for his client. Still, whether it’s 10, 12 or a few teams interested in LeBron, he is a wanted player.

This offseason, the unrestricted free agent market is very weak. Given that LeBron is coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists, the list of players who can do that consistently in the NBA is small, making him clearly one of the best available options this offseason.

We don’t know which teams are officially asking about LeBron, but the Warriors have once again been linked to James.

So, it seems we will likely hear of other teams during the coming weeks, but again, it’s all part of the negotiating tactics that happen during the NBA offseason.

Perhaps this time, LeBron will leave, but he and the Lakers have always figured out how to stay together and have been united for longer than any other franchise has been with James in a single stint.

Teams will be interested and with James no longer LA’s top priority, things can get tricky. But hearing a bunch of teams calling from an agent is no reason for fans to press the panic button.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

In an interview with Italian journalist lacopo De Santis of Pianeta Basket, Luigi Suigo broke down why he decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft, as well as his choice in playing for Villanova in 2026-27.

On his NBA Draft process:

“We started this season at Mega Basket in Serbia thinking we could be very well prepared for this draft. Unfortunately, two or three days before the Combine, I pulled a sprained ankle in practice. I lost some form. I wasn’t able to do the Combine drills, which I think would have helped me improve my picks or my rating. I tried to get back in shape. I came back from Boston this morning. I was in Los Angeles, where my agency’s facility is. I did some workouts. I trained with the Wizards, Spurs and Celtics. They went well. My choice was to stay in the Draft if I had a guarantee of being selected in the first 20 picks. First of all, because knowing I’d have a year of development, and done well, I could be much higher in the 2027 Draft. And also, above all, it’s a question of experience. The money part too, of course, but that’s the least important thing right now. I’m very confident in myself. I know what my qualities are. The important thing is to work hard. Villanova will be a place where I can do that very well.”

This answers why he was not competing in the drills. It seemed odd to sit out when the goal is to improve your stock, but now everything makes sense. There was some concern once Suigo started following Atlanta Hawks’ center Onyeka Okongwu on Instagram, but now we know that they made their acquaintance in Los Angeles. Suigo shares Excel Sports as an agency with Okongwu, who is also from the Los Angeles area.

On where he would have gone in the Draft had he stayed in:

“I could have stayed in the first round, even with Boston (pick 27). The idea of not rushing things, having an extra year of development to be even more ready to make an impact is important, even because of the pick position. The higher you are, the more a team is committed to player development.

It seemed like a long shot that Suigo would get that top-20 guarantee, and this confirms that. Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor had the 7’3” Italian going at pick 17 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in his latest mock draft, but once the withdrawal became official, O’Connor stated that he had Suigo top-20 on his personal board, but that he “didn’t expect him to stay in though.” Going to college will allow him to improve his stock and contribute more as a rookie once he’s there.

In the same article, Suigo noted that he’s a San Antonio Spurs fan and that it’s been “strange to see” all of the Knicks-related posts on Instagram. That said, Suigo also noted that “it’s nice to know I’m going to a college where I can develop and position myself well in the next draft.”

With Suigo in the fold, Villanova’s roster now stands as such:

Guards – Elijah Crawford, Buddy Simmons II, Carter Fisk, Tyler Perkins, Jake Fiegen and Adam Oumiddoch

Forwards – Kwame Evans Jr., Devin Royal, Matt Hodge, Abdou Samb

Centers – Luigi Suigo, Nico Onyekwere

With 12 players in the fold, Kevin Willard will look to add a bit more frontcourt depth and likely call it an offseason.