Add The New York Post on Google Gloating Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday taunted Texas about the Knicks’ hard-earned victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals.
Hochul — who exchanged snarky jabs with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on X leading up to the highly anticipated championship — told reporters she is now “basking in the glory of being the governor in the state with the greatest basketball team on the planet.
“And to the folks in Texas, yeah, all your snark at the beginning of this, guess who’s winning now? Guess who is the champ now? It is us. It is New York. It is not Texas,” Hochul said.
The Knicks clinched yet another late-game victory against the Spurs on Saturday night — securing their spot as this season’s NBA champs for the first time since 1973.
Knicks point guard and MVP Jalen Brunson scored a record-setting 45 points during the game, keeping the New York team on the Spurs’ heels until they finally got the edge in the fourth quarter.
Hochul revealed that her favorite Knicks player is “obviously the MVP” but added she loves “the whole team,” too.
“They got a lot of grit, a lot of spirit. They come from behind. People write them off,” the gov said. “A lot of people go to bed before the game is over, thinking it’s done throughout this entire series. And those who wait up just know the thrill of victory at levels we have never felt before in this city.”
Thousands of Knicks fans packed the streets to watch each Finals game on Jumbotrons this week. On Saturday, the excitement quickly escalated into pandemonium. More than 60 people were arrested, 10 cops were injured, four people were stabbed, and one 17-year-old was shot in the foot.
Hochul told The Post that the chaos was “a shame” since the “vast majority” of fans were celebrating “peacefully.
“There’s always some people who mar it for others. I thank the NYPD for their quick response and having to do what they do, but it’s a great celebration, and unfortunately there will always be a few who will try to ruin it for others,” she said.
The ticker-tape parade celebrating the Knicks’ win will process from Battery Park to City Hall on Thursday.
