New York Knicks Demand Zohran Mamdani Stop Using Iconic Logo in His Campaign Ad — “We Do Not Endorse Him”
The New York Knicks have taken legal action against mayoral hopeful Zohran Mamdani after he used a modified version of their familiar orange-and-blue emblem in a campaign advertisement, distributing the footage during the team’s season opener and across social media platforms. In a sharply-worded cease-and-desist letter obtained by media outlets, the franchise demanded the removal of all uses of their mark and reiterated that they “do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor.”
The ad in question featured a graphic nearly identical to the Knicks logo but replaced the team’s name with “Zohran,” styled in the same bold typeface and color scheme. The visual appeared at the end of a promotional clip aired at Madison Square Garden and circulated widely online with the caption: “This is our year. This is our time.”
In the legal notice, the Knicks argued that the campaign’s use of their brand could mislead the public into believing the team was somehow affiliated with or endorsing Mamdani’s candidacy. “We object to his use of our copyrighted logo. We will pursue all legal remedies to enforce our rights,” the team said in a statement.
The timing of the letter comes at a critical moment for both the franchise and the campaign. The Knicks were preparing for a high-profile home opener, and Mamdani, who styles himself as a progressive candidate, was rapidly gaining media traction in the 2025 New York City mayoral race. The intertwined sports-politics moment drew extra scrutiny because of the campaign’s decision to broadcast the logo-infused ad during the team’s season launch.
Mamdani’s campaign responded briefly, with a spokesperson acknowledging the letter but declining further comment. The campaign did not say whether they would comply by withdrawing the ad or whether the logo would be removed. At the same time, legal analysts suggest the Knicks have a strong intellectual-property claim given the similarity of branding and the potential for public confusion.
For the Knicks, the move reaffirms the club’s commitment to protecting its brand identity and maintaining neutrality in political endorsements. “We want to make it clear we do not endorse Mr. Mamdani for Mayor,” the letter stressed. The team also emphasized that any continued use of their mark in campaign materials could trigger further legal action.
For Mamdani, this challenge introduces an unexpected wrinkle in his campaign messaging — one that pits his proposition of “New York energy” against the legacy of one of the city’s most established sports brands. Whether the campaign will pivot away from the ad or engage in a legal fight remains to be seen, but the public spectacle has already added a new dimension to his mayoral bid.
As both sides weigh their next moves, the broader question lingers: how far should political campaigns go in leveraging pop-culture and sports icons to amplify their message? At the very least, the Knicks’ letter acts as a very public red card to candidates who try to repurpose familiar logos for political gain.
