San Antonio Spurs sensation Victor Wembanyama has received a tongue-in-cheek invitation from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to attend a government efficiency hearing that inconveniently overlaps with Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Mamdani, a devoted Knicks fan often spotted in the nosebleed seats at Madison Square Garden this season, extended the deceptive invitation on X ahead of Wednesday's series opener in San Antonio.
'I'm pleased to invite @Wemby to our second Commission on Government Efficiency hearing on Wednesday June 10th 5-8pm, where we'll be asking the public for their thoughts on how government can run better,' Mamdani wrote. 'Would love to have you there for the whole time!' The hearing is scheduled to conclude just as Game 3 of the Finals tips off at MSG.
Mamdani would certainly welcome the 7-foot-5 reigning Defensive Player of the Year to the hearing, but his post was an obvious joke that seemed lost on several NBA fans. 'Wemby is not a Knick, not a New Yorker, and not even an American,' one irate fan wrote on X. 'Wtf is this.' Another asked, 'Wait isn't that a game day?' One particularly confused fan suggested Mamdani invite someone from the home team instead: 'Why wemby? Why not a Knick?'
Of course, many Knicks fans were happy to play along in the pre-game euphoria ahead of the Finals opener. 'Wemby, when the NYC mayor invites you to something you do not turn it down,' one fan wrote to the Western Conference Finals MVP. 'Show up, June 10th between 5 to 8 pm.' Another suggested Mamdani 'should push it to 9pm to make sure everyone gets their thoughts out,' adding, 'Wemby would appreciate this.'
Wembanyama's Dominance
Wembanyama has helped bring the once-feared Spurs franchise back from the NBA basement in just three short seasons. Against the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, the 22-year-old was absolutely dominant, averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 40 percent from three-point range and 89.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Game 3 at MSG
Of course, Wembanyama will be at Game 3, as will Mamdani and President Donald Trump. New York is back in the Finals for the first time in nearly three decades, with Mike Brown's team facing the San Antonio Spurs as they chase a first championship since 1973. According to the New York Post, the President and long-time Knicks fan is expected to be at The Garden that night for the first NBA Finals game in New York in 27 years. Staff at MSG have reportedly been stepping up security preparations ahead of Trump's potential visit.
Trump has attended several major sporting events since returning to the Oval Office, including the Ryder Cup, the Super Bowl, US Open tennis, and a New York Yankees game. The President, a native New Yorker, recently said he planned to attend one of the games after receiving an invite from Knicks owner James Dolan. 'I think I'll be going to one of the games,' Trump said. 'I was invited by numerous people, and [Dolan], and I think I'll be going.' He added, 'Boy, what a team! They win all their games... it's great to see it. The Knicks have really suffered for years and they're doing right now very well.'
The New York Post also reports that Mamdani hopes to be at The Garden for Game 3 but previously ruled out sitting alongside President Trump. 'If I go... I'll be doing so separately,' Mamdani said. Mamdani was among the crowd for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, sitting in the nosebleeds as the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a series sweep. 'If the president went to a game, that's his decision to make. If I go to the game, I'll be doing so separately,' he told TMZ. Mamdani later added in a press conference: 'If the president comes to watch the Knicks, I'll leave the president to watch the Knicks as he wants to watch the Knicks.'
