SouthernWorldwide.com – A New York Senate candidate, who is reportedly supported by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has received a cease-and-desist letter from the New York Knicks. The letter was issued because the candidate allegedly used the championship team’s logo in her campaign materials.
The promotional stickers in question featured the Knicks logo, with the team’s name altered to “Kawas,” and bore the message “I voted for Aber Kawas.” This usage has drawn the attention of the Knicks organization.
According to reports from the New York Post, the Knicks have formally requested that the campaign “immediately remove all promotional materials incorporating Knicks Intellectual Property, including but not limited to the unauthorized Advertisements, and cease any further use of Knicks Intellectual Property.”
“Neither the Knicks nor NBA [Properties] have authorized the Campaign to use Knicks Intellectual Property in any way, including the Unauthorized Advertisements, which are likely to mislead the public into believing that the Campaign is affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by, or in some way connected with the Knicks,” stated Brian N. Warner, senior vice president and head of legal for Madison Square Garden Sports, in the letter. The letter further elaborated that the campaign’s actions constitute “trademark infringement, trademark dilution, false advertising, false association, and unfair competition.”
This is not the first instance of a conflict between the Knicks and Mamdani’s political endeavors regarding logo usage. Last year, Mamdani’s mayoral campaign also employed the Knicks logo in a similar manner. At that time, Mamdani was also issued a cease-and-desist letter, and the Knicks explicitly stated their non-endorsement of any candidates in that race, which Mamdani ultimately won.
The dispute over logo usage extends to a recent exchange between Knicks owner James Dolan and Mamdani concerning Knicks watch parties during the team’s recent championship run. The two figures reportedly had a face-to-face interaction at a City Hall celebration earlier this month. During a speech referencing the Knicks, Mamdani mentioned Charles Oakley, a former Knicks player and rival of Dolan. Dolan, in turn, made a parting remark to the mayor and declined a photo opportunity.
“I don’t need your vote. I don’t need to quote to you what happened. If you’re real Knick fans you know it already,” Dolan was quoted as saying. This exchange occurred shortly after Dolan announced that the Knicks would visit the White House to meet with President Donald Trump, who had attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals. This visit would mark the first time an NBA team would visit Trump.
Aber Kawas, the candidate in question, is identified as the Democrat nominee for New York’s Senate District 12. She is also described as a socialist and the Muslim daughter of illegal immigrants. Kawas has recently faced criticism for her stance on the 9/11 attacks, where she reportedly rejected the notion that Muslim Americans needed to apologize for an event she characterized as perpetrated by “a couple of people.”
