Mamdani Links LeBron Taxes to Sixers Win

New York City's mayor answered a CNN remark about Philadelphia's win over the Knicks by pointing to a newly effective pied-à-terre tax.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Basketball

Mamdani Links LeBron Taxes to Sixers Win

Live Poll

Do you support New York City's new pied-à-terre tax on secondary homes?

Jake Tapper said on CNN that the 76ers have beaten the Knicks twice this season, and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded that the city has the pied-à-terre tax coming anyway. The exchange tied the sports rivalry to a tax that took effect July 1, 2026.

Why it matters

The remark connects a basketball rivalry to a city tax aimed at high-value second homes, a topic that carries weight for New York residents and officials. Reports that LeBron James is living in New York City add a local angle to the exchange.

LeBron James is averaging 15.7 points and 7.4 rebounds and assists per game through nine games, while Tyrese Maxey is averaging 28 points per game for the 76ers. James signed a two-year contract with a player option during the offseason.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City, who responded to the CNN remark with a comment about the pied-à-terre tax.

LeBron James

LeBron James is a veteran NBA forward who is reportedly living in New York City and is averaging 15.7 points per game this season.

Jake Tapper

Jake Tapper is a CNN anchor and journalist who made the remark about the 76ers beating the Knicks twice this season.

The details

Tapper made the point on CNN that Philadelphia has beaten New York twice this season. Mamdani responded that the city already has the pied-à-terre tax, which took effect July 1, 2026. The Knicks raised a championship banner at Madison Square Garden on Opening Night.

July 1, 2026: The pied-à-terre tax took effect.
November 6, 2026: Mamdani made the CNN remark after the midterms.

Season Trajectory

The 76ers have beaten the Knicks twice this season, shaping the early competitive picture in the Atlantic Division. The exchange shows how a city's tax policy can enter a sports conversation when a prominent player is reportedly based in the city.

Fantasy managers tracking LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey will see their scoring and rebounding averages shape roster decisions. The Knicks and 76ers meeting twice this season makes their head-to-head results relevant to playoff seeding.

The takeaway

Season matchups and off-court headlines can overlap in unexpected ways, so readers following a rivalry may want to track both the game results and the policy news tied to the teams' cities. Checking primary sources for tax and sports statistics helps separate confirmed facts from commentary.