The ‘Villain’ of Knicks Nation is now over 200 miles away, nowhere close to the upcoming Knicks-Hawks playoff series. But before Game 1 even tipped off, Trae Young again became a bone of contention for New Yorkers. The former Hawks centerpiece, who was traded to the Wizards earlier this year, found himself at the center of an unexpected discussion on Thursday, when New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani humorously pointed the finger at him for the soaring cost of tickets at Madison Square Garden.

During a press conference addressing the city’s cost-of-living concerns, the Mayor was asked about the exorbitant prices for the upcoming playoff series. Major ticketing sites show that nosebleed seats at The Garden start at $250 and go up to $600! The locals would be better off actually supporting their team at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where tickets are still in the $65-$100 range. In fact, several New Yorkers online have pointed out that round-trip airfare is working out cheaper. Mamdani didn’t hesitate to identify a culprit for this situation.

“I would say that I blame Trae Young,” the Mayor, who brings his diehard love for the Knicks into his public appearances, quipped. “And I think it’s always important to blame Trae Young.”

Young, never one to shy away from a confrontation with New York leadership, took to X with a sly clapback. “Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this… 😂✋🏽,” he tweeted to his millions of followers along with a threat in a subsequent hashtag… “#DontBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain.”

For an NYC mayor, it seems to be a prerequisite to fuel sports rivalries. Young’s callback in his warning refers directly to 2021, when Bill de Blasio was the mayor. The Knicks and Hawks were set to face off in the Eastern Conference First Round, and Young’s villainous persona in NY was at an all-time high. Soon after the home team was tormented in Game 1, de Blasio held a press conference wearing a Knicks hat and specifically called out Young.

“Message to Trae Young on behalf of the people of New York City, and anyone who cares about actually playing basketball the right way, stop hunting for fouls, Trae,” de Blasio said. “I want to quote Steve Nash, one of the great players, great coaches. He says, quote-unquote, that’s not basketball. Trae, that Hawks’ not going to fly in New York City. Come on. Play the game the right way and see if you can win. I think the Knicks are going to teach you a lesson.”

Young had made nine successful trips to the free-throw line, scoring 32 points overall, including his game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds remaining in the first game of the series. He even made a shush gesture at the crowd and told them, “It’s quiet as f— in here.” He was all smiles after the game and went on to taunt the New Yorkers further, “It got real quiet at the end,” Young told TNT’s Inside the NBA crew. “For me, I wanted to hear those ‘eff you’ chants again.”

So, when de Blasio told him to stop “hunting for fouls,” he ignited a war between the Knicks and the Hawks. Young became a bigger villain, sending the Knicks home in five games. Even though the 27-year-old star has a losing record against them, winning 11 of 19 games, he arguably dominated when it mattered more and when the stakes were high, and that’s what hands him the villain tag. By referencing that incident, Young is suggesting that whenever a New York politician targets him, the Knicks suffer the consequences on the hardwood, even if he isn’t the one wearing the jersey this time around.

Young is now with the Wizards, who aren’t in the playoffs. But he might be likely rooting for his former team, now on a hot run under Jonathan Kuminga, to continue his legacy of antagonizing New York. However, right now, it’s the price of tickets to watch the New York home games that’s the real villain. Mamdani has been vocally decrying that sports-loving New York is finding their passion now an unaffordable luxury.

“There’s been this growing sense of resignation that when your favorite team or your favorite artist comes to town, you will either have to put the money you would have spent on rent towards that ticket, or you will have to watch online,” Mamdani said back in 2025, addressing the dynamic pricing policy for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico next June and July. Whatever the result, Mamdani, a sports fan himself, doesn’t want viewers to go out of their way to overpay and watch a game that interests them.