MD Ahnaf Hossain Revives Viral Knicks Chant With 'Knicks in Five' as Team Leads Finals 3-1
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 11
MD Ahnaf Hossain Revives Viral Knicks Chant With 'Knicks in Five' as Team Leads Finals 3-1
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 11
Summary
MD Ahnaf Hossain reappeared on New York streets with a revised chant — “My bagel’s still Jewish / The pope’s on our side / Knicks in five” — after the Knicks’ Sunday loss made “Knicks in four” impossible.
7.4 million TikTok views and merchandise sales had already turned the original four-line clip into an unofficial Knicks playoff anthem, amplified by a Kalshi-branded street-interview video.
Kalshi acknowledged “smart marketing” behind the post but said Hossain approached its crew first; Stanford’s Jeff Hancock said promotion helps, though virality still depends on timing, humor and New York’s media reach.
Hip-hop scholar AD Carson said the chant works because it borrows familiar rap and sports-prediction tropes, while debate over similar earlier tweets highlights how mimetic online culture blurs authorship.
With the Knicks one win from their first title since the 1970s, Hossain said the run has brought a rare sense of unity and affection to New York.