Trae Young fires back at Zohran Mamdani after New York mayor jokingly blames star for Knicks-Hawks ticket prices originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Trae Young hasn't been a member of the Atlanta Hawks since January, now a member of a Washington Wizards team that will be eyeing more contention in 2026-27. But his bad blood with the New York Knicks lives on.After New York mayor Zohran Mamdani made a joke at Young's expense when recently asked about the high playoff ticket prices at Madison Square Garden, the Wizards' new point guard fired back.Young was quick to remind Knicks fans of the 2021 playoffs, when he and the Hawks beat the Knicks in five games — including a previous New York mayor calling him out after a Game 1 game-winner.Here's what Mamdani and Young each had to say in their back-and-forth on Thursday night.SN AWARDS:Victor Wembanyama Player of the Year | Joe Mazzulla Coach of the YearTrae Young fires back after Zohran Mamdani commentAfter Mamdani jokingly blamed Young for the high ticket prices at Madison Square Garden, the new Wizards point guard replied on X, saying "remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this" and "#Don'tBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain."Remember what happened the last time the Mayor of that City had my name in his mouth during a time like this… 😂✋🏽. #DontBlameMeWhenItHappensAgain— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) April 17, 2026Young was referring to the 2021 playoffs after Game 1 of a high-tension series between the Knicks and Hawks, when the guard had 32 points and a game-winner in Madison Square Garden.After that game, New York mayor Bill de Blasio called out Young."This is very serious, want to get this message to Trae Young on behalf of the people for New York City and anybody that cares about playing basketball the right way: Stop hunting for fouls, Trae,” de Blasio said, per the New York Post.In response, Young wound up averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists throughout the series as the Knicks lost in five games — also building a rivalry with New York's fanbase along the way.MORE:SN's NBA playoff picks and predictionsWhat did Zohran Mamdani say about Trae Young?At a press conference on Thursday, Mamdani was asked why it's so expensive to get into a Knicks playoff game at Madison Square Garden, while a Hawks playoff game was around $80 to get in."I would say that I blame Trae Young... and I think it's always important to blame Trae Young," Mamdani jokingly said. The mayor then provided a real answer about how sports have become a "luxury commodity" and that he's hopeful for a Knicks championship this year."I do wish that these tickets were more affordably priced," Mamdani said.Zohran Mamdani on the high cost of Knicks playoff tickets vs Atlanta:"I would say that I blame Trae Young... and I think it's always important to blame Trae Young"(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/yDvVZHAqRX— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) April 16, 2026MORE:Why Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham are now eligible for NBA awards