NBA star rips socialist NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as ‘mayor playing president’ after Netanyahu video
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s remarks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked criticism over the weekend from an unlikely source: Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma, who mocked the democratic socialist as “the mayor playing president.”
Responding to the mayor’s video about
Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes action against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on January 19, 2026. (Getty Images)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma #18 walks in the backcourt during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Fiserv Forum on March 5, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Getty Images)
“The year is 2026. People are imitating things for which they don’t actually have the authority, talent, or track record they actually have. Just for content,” Kuzma wrote, quoting Mamdani’s address.
The response came after Mamdani released a video calling for Netanyahu’s arrest under an International Criminal Court order ahead of the United Nations General Assembly.
“A mayor who plays the role of president. A founder who plays the role of an operator. A content creator who plays one-on-one and thinks he’s a professional. A 25-year-old who plays a brilliant economist. Everybody auditions. Nobody does construction. We’re raising a generation that learns that the reward is not in doing the thing, but in looking like you did it.”
MAMDANI SAID HE WAS INVESTIGATING IF NYC COULD ARREST NETANYAHU IF THE ISRAELI LEADER VISITS FOR THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the still image taken from the declaration video released on July 21, 2026. (Reuters)
“The video is the career. The exposure is the product. Soundbite replaces a lifetime of work. Don’t fall for distractions.”
The comments were in keeping with Kuzma’s growing reputation as one of the NBA’s few active players willing to openly challenge progressive political ideas; It’s a lane that many of the league’s top stars have largely avoided.
The same video also received support from elsewhere in the NBA.
Days earlier, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama were seen liking Mamdani’s Instagram post in which he called Netanyahu “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people” and called on authorities to arrest him if he entered New York.
IT WAS REPORTED THAT KNICKS’ STAR KARL ANTHONY-TOWNS PARTICIPATED IN THE JEWISH FUNDRAISING, AND OTHER NBA PLAYERS WERE IN THE OPPOSITE SITUATION.
OutKick contacted representatives for both actors for comment but did not receive a response.
Mamdani has faced constant criticism from Jewish organizations and political opponents for his rhetoric against Israel, accusing him of genocide.
KYRIE IRVING, VICTOR WEMBANYAMA LIKE THE VIDEO IN WHICH MAMDANI CALLS NETANYAHU A ‘WAR CRIME’
Israel rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction, while Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the court’s allegations.
Although Mamdani had previously directed the city’s legal department to examine whether New York police could enforce the arrest warrant, he later acknowledged that the city had no legal authority to detain visiting foreign leaders.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Kyle Kuzma reacts after being called for a second-half foul call against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2026 (Getty Images)
Critics argued that Mamdani should focus on problems within New York City, such as crime, sanitation and housing affordability, rather than weighing in on international conflicts outside the mayor’s authority.
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Kuzma’s “putting the mayor in the role of president” rant is a strong contrast to the message Mamdani received from Irving and Wembanyama, and shows how the mayor’s rhetoric has divided prominent voices in the NBA.
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