NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani and a circle of friends have been secretly utilizing the NYPD Police Academy’s gymnasium in Queens to host late-night pickup basketball games, according to four individuals familiar with the gatherings.
The games began shortly after the New York Knicks secured the NBA championship and around the time Mamdani attended the July 16 renaming of the $1-billion facility for fallen NYPD Detective Steven McDonald. The mayor and his group have shown up approximately half a dozen times to run full-court games at the 45,000-square-foot facility in College Point, two sources stated.
The mayor’s group typically arrives around 10 or 11 p.m., entering discreetly through the loading dock that leads directly to the gymnasium stairs. Despite the late hour, the nighttime games have disrupted academy operations on several occasions. On at least three instances since July, training sessions for recruit groups numbering in the low hundreds were affected. In one instance, recruits had to move their workout outside the gym; in another, they trained in a hallway; and in a third, academy staff rescheduled gymnasium activities to the period before its normal operating time.
On a recent Thursday, academy staff were preparing the gym for a health and wellness event scheduled for the following morning—a task that involved setting up 1,000 chairs—when the mayor’s security team informed staff that Mamdani and his guests were arriving. According to one source, the chairs had to be moved to accommodate the game, while another source stated that setting up the chairs was postponed until morning hours.
The choice of venue has drawn swift criticism, given that the College Point facility sits more than 10 miles away from Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s Manhattan residence, which is within walking distance of several public indoor gyms.
David Carr, the Republican minority leader in the City Council, argued that the mayor should prioritize differently. He stated that it is ridiculous for the mayor to commandeer the one facility needed to train police officers when numerous other gyms and courts are available across the city, suggesting that Mamdani and his associates should instead obtain memberships at a local YMCA.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed that Mamdani has utilized the Police Academy gym during off-hours, but maintained that the mayor’s usage has not disrupted recruit training, declining to comment on the three specific incidents reported by sources.
Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the mayor, stated that Mamdani’s staff had been assured that using a portion of the facility for late-night basketball would not interfere with academy training. Pekec declined to name the individuals playing with the mayor or specify who gave assurances to his staff, and would not clarify whether Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch approved the use of the space. She added that the mayor would never intentionally interfere with recruit activities and would find another venue if his presence caused any disruption.
The venue selection adds another layer of friction between the administration and the police department. Mamdani previously canceled his predecessor’s push to recruit 5,000 new officers in February and retained Tisch as police commissioner, decisions that alienated portions of his progressive base. At the same time, his policies have drawn strong pushback from police labor organizations.
Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, which represents more than 20,000 rank-and-file officers, sharply criticized the mayor’s habits. Hendry stated that the mayor should not use NYPD facilities as a private playground and suggested that if he insists on playing at the academy gym, he should speak with recruits preparing to graduate without a contract. Rank-and-file officers have worked without a contract since August 1, 2025, and the union recently filed a declaration of impasse with the state Public Employment Relations Board, which assigned mediators in July.
