NYC mayor suspends bedtimes for NBA finals

In what may be the most popular executive order of the year, Zohran Mamdani has officially taken on childhood’s greatest enemy: bedtime.With the New York Knicks reaching the NBA finals for the first time in 27 years, young fans faced a dilemma. Tip-off is at 8.30 pm on school nights – well past lights-out for many. So Mamdani stepped in with a playful executive order “repealing” bedtimes for the duration of the finals.
No sleep till the final buzzer

Signed alongside children in Knicks colours—who added handprints to the document—the mock decree states that “bedtimes should not impede the ability of New York’s Cutest to cheer for the Knicks and watch every second of this historic Championship series.” The order gives kids citywide permission to stay up late and support their team, ending with a mandatory “Go New York Go New York Go.” The bedtime ban remains in effect until the Finals are over—and, ideally, with a Knicks title to celebrate. “As Mayor, you’re forced to make many difficult decisions,” Mamdani later joked on X. “This was not one of them.”

A mayor powered by sports fandom

This isn’t Mamdani’s only fan-first move. As an Arsenal supporter, he has written about ending even his busiest days by checking the Premier League table. He’s also taken on FIFA, urging the organisation to lower ticket prices so that ordinary fans can afford to attend matches. For now, though, his focus is on the Knicks—and making sure New York’s youngest supporters don’t miss a moment of history.