Mr. Mamdani was able to buy from a pool of house seats reserved for V.I.P.s and the well-connected — a common practice at sports and cultural venues around the country.

And by paying for his ticket, Mr. Mamdani appeared to avoid running afoul of city rules prohibiting gifts to elected officials.

Still, the mayor took advantage of a privilege not available to the common fan. Had Mr. Mamdani tried to buy tickets directly from the box office, the cheapest option — had he been lucky enough to snare one of the few face-value tickets released by the Knicks last week — cost more than double what Mr. Mamdani paid. Tickets on the secondary market were going for several thousands of dollars more.

The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board found in a 2000 advisory opinion that gaining special access to “‘hot’ tickets” was not likely to violate rules against accepting gifts, especially if the politicians paid for them. But if an event is sold out, that could change the calculus, the board said.

Mr. Adams has not backed a mayoral candidate so far, but he posted a photo of himself with Mr. Cuomo at the game, too, and seemed to be on the verge of offering an endorsement. “We need to win for the city,” the mayor wrote. “Can’t go backwards.”

Mr. Adams has been critical of Mr. Mamdani, calling his proposals to freeze rent on rent-stabilized apartments and to provide free buses fantasies.

Before he dropped out of the race, the mayor rarely had a kind word for Mr. Cuomo, but on Wednesday evening, the two seemed like best buddies.

Mr. Adams and Mr. Cuomo are bitter rivals with somewhat similar politics. Their platforms — pro-Israel, tough on crime and skeptical of the Democratic Socialist ideals that Mr. Mamdani embraces — often overlap.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/22/nyregion/eric-adams-cuomo-knicks.html