Artist Tom Sanford Defends Knicks Cutouts at City Hall Amid Media 'Curse' Narrative

Painter Tom Sanford has loaned his hand-painted wooden Knicks Cutout artworks to New York City Hall at the invitation of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, intended to celebrate the Knicks' playoff run. However, tabloid media including the New York Post and the New York Times have framed the gesture as a jinx, suggesting fans blame Mamdani for the team's loss—a narrative Sanford dismisses as opportunistic negativity. Sanford clarifies that the works are not cardboard cutouts but hand-painted wooden pieces, part of a series inspired by life-size cutout figures outside Manhattan delis and pizzerias. The lineup features his all-time favorite Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, and sixth man John Starks. Originally created for a fundraiser at Brooklyn Bowl benefiting the Food Bank for New York, the cutouts gained social media attention when Mamdani liked a post; Sanford then arranged for his daughter Cecily to meet the mayor. Sanford, a regular on MSG Network broadcasts, calls the media's negative spin a 'real curse' that undermines an authentic community moment.