Saman ShafiqUSA TODAY
July 27, 2026, 12:31 p.m. ET
NBA star Kyle Kuzma accused New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani of “cosplaying” as president and releasing statements for “content” after the leader called for the arrest of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“This is 2026,” the Milwaukee Bucks forward said in a July 26 post on X. “People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content.”
Kuzma, 31, added that he believes many people are “auditioning,” and not “building,” implying they are putting on an act in public.
“A mayor playing president. A founder playing operator. A content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro. A 25yr old with a ring light playing economist. Everyone auditioning. Nobody building,” his post said. “Were raising a generation that learning the reward isn’t in doing the thing it’s in looking like you did the thing. The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work.”
He added: “Don’t fall for distractions.”
The mayor’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for a comment on Kuzma’s remarks.
NYC mayor calls on federal government to arrest Netanyahu
Mamdani earlier this month told the The New York Times the city’s legal department was looking at options for Netanyahu’s arrest in NYC ahead of his expected attendance at the United Nations in September.
However, with no clear legal path to force an arrest, Mamdani called on the federal government to take action. “As I’ve said, I agree with the [International Criminal Court] that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC,” Mamdani said last week.
Netanyahu responds to Mamdani
Netanyahu said that he still plans to visit New York City for the United Nations’ General Assembly, despite Mamdani’s comments.
The Israeli prime minister accused Mamdani of “fomenting hate” and said Mamdani is “supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers: Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone.”
Kuzma, meanwhile, didn’t stop with his post, responding to those criticizing his opinion.
Contributing: Amethyst Martinez, USA TODAY NETWORK
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
