The star of the New York Knicks victory parade in New York City Thursday was undoubtedly NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani. The 34-year-old New Yorker was all charged up as he first gave a speech and then joined the team on the open-air bus for the parade.
What stood out from his presence at the parade was, clearly, the speech. The rousing address to the Knicks fans included his own experience of being one growing up in New York City. Writing for USA Today, NBA Analyst Bryan Kalbrosky described the speech as Mamdani’s “classiest” speech.
But the speech did not leave an impression because of Mamdani’s rousing words alone. He brought up several unexpected and forgotten Knicks’ history and trivia that seemed to resonate with the Knicks fan.
Also read: Knicks parade update: Largest ever NYPD deployment; check street closures, parking rules
Mamdani Brings Up Forgotten Knicks Star
One such mention was for the New York Knicks former backup guard, Toney Douglas, who became a pivotal player for the team in the 2010-11. Though only a backup who got only occasional starts, Douglas became a Knicks hero after hitting nine three-pointers in a single game on March 17, 2011, against the Memphis Grizzlies.
But beyond the momentary spark of that one game, Toney Douglas made a permanent place in the hearts of the Knicks fan who followed the 2010-11 season. He played all 82 games for the team that season, mostly from the bench, despite a right shoulder injury (labrum tear.)
And Mamdani is clearly one of them. “I’m talking about guys like Toney Douglas, who I watched tied a single-game franchise record for three from the stands in 2011,” Mamdani said.
Brother Acknowledges Mamdani’s Tribute
One of the first to acknowledge the tribute from Zohran Mamdani was Henry Douglas, former NFL player and the brother of Toney Douglas. Henry, who was a wide receiver for the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans between 2008 and 2017, shared the clip from Mamdani’s speech along with a photo of Toney Douglas’s Knicks jersey.
“Major Shoutout to NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani mentioning my brother TONEY DOUGLAS during his speech today,” he wrote.
Toney Douglas averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game playing for the Knicks between 2009 and 2013.
