Dave Portnoy did not have to look far for material during the Knicks’ championship parade, zeroing in on a City Hall jersey mix-up involving one of the most iconic numbers in team history.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was wearing the right jersey for the occasion.
The problem was what was hanging in the background of the City Hall event.
Dave Portnoy calls out Zohran Mamdani over Knicks jersey mistake
Portnoy aimed at the Knicks’ City Hall event, posting on social media: “Big Knicks Energy from the mayor!!”
The post included an AI-generated image of Mamdani in a No. 33 Dillon Jones jersey, turning a genuine City Hall error into a meme.
In reality, Mamdani was wearing a No. 3 Jalen Brunson jersey, a fitting choice after Brunson led the Knicks to their first title since 1973 and claimed Finals MVP honors.
The real issue was the row of jerseys displayed behind him. One of them was a No. 33 labeled for Dillon Jones, even though that number has belonged to Patrick Ewing since the 1980s and was officially retired by the Knicks in 2003.
Jones’ inclusion made the mix-up even stranger. He played just seven regular-season games for New York, did not feature in the playoffs, and actually wore No. 1. The No. 33 listing appears to have been a roster error, not something Jones ever wore on court.
Patrick Ewing’s presence made the Knicks’ error stand out
The mistake felt even bigger because Ewing was there. The Knicks legend attended the parade, watching the franchise finally win the title that had slipped through his grasp over 15 seasons in New York.
His No. 33 is not just retired. It defines an era, a Finals run in 1994, and the hard-nosed identity of the 1990s Knicks. Ewing remains one of the most important figures in team history.
So seeing a Jones 33 jersey at City Hall was impossible for fans to overlook. On a day meant to celebrate Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and the rest of the championship squad, the jersey error quickly became a talking point.
But it did not spoil the occasion. The Knicks’ first-ever ticker-tape parade marched up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes, finished with a City Hall ceremony, and saw Mamdani hand out Keys to the City to the roster.
Portnoy just did what he does best: spot something ridiculous and turn up the volume.
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