Bucks’ Kyle Kuzma Slams NYC Mayor Zorhan Mamdani Over Netanyahu Video, Sparking Debate Among NBA Players

Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma waded into the ongoing dispute over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s calls to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, firing off a pointed social media post that many read as a direct shot at the mayor’s credibility rather than his politics.

The exchange started after Mamdani posted a two-minute video renewing his description of Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and pressing the federal government to act on the outstanding International Criminal Court warrant against him, since the city itself lacks legal authority to make an arrest. “Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani said in the clip. “Nor is any other war criminal at large.” The video quickly circulated widely online.

Kuzma responded on X with a broader critique of public figures he described as performing roles beyond their actual standing. “People cosplaying as things they don’t have the authority, the talent, or the track record to actually be. Just for content,” he wrote, before listing examples that included “a mayor playing president” alongside references to a “founder playing operator” and “a content creator playing one-on-one thinking he’s a pro.”

He closed by warning against mistaking image for substance: “The clip is the career. The pose is the product. The soundbite is the substitute for a life’s work.”

The post drew a mixed reaction, with some observers questioning whether the polished phrasing even matched Kuzma’s usual voice online, while others treated it as a clear rebuke of Mamdani specifically. It also highlighted a split among NBA players on the underlying issue — Kyrie Irving and Victor Wembanyama have both previously voiced support for Mamdani’s stance on Netanyahu, putting Kuzma at odds with peers who’ve weighed in on the same controversy.

Mamdani, for his part, addressed the broader backlash at an unrelated press conference, saying he’s been consistent about wanting the warrant enforced while acknowledging the city would operate within the bounds of the law. Other critics have taken aim at him more directly over the practicality of his position: City Council member Inna Vernikov mocked him for not vetting the legal feasibility of the idea before campaigning on it, while commentator Stephen Miller dismissed it as a broken promise to his base.

Netanyahu is expected to travel to the U.S. next week and again in September for the UN General Assembly, keeping the standoff very much alive.