Knicks owner James Dolan said the franchise has accepted an invitation to visit the White House after the team’s NBA Finals win, but Finals MVP Jalen Brunson said he and the players “haven’t discussed it” yet. The moment follows a history of champions skipping
As New York’s championship celebration was still lingering, the Knicks’ next stop became the White House—at least on paper.
James Dolan, the Knicks owner and a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, said the team has accepted an invitation to visit Washington after the franchise’s historic NBA Finals win. The invitation, Dolan said, is one the players will have to figure out in the coming days—starting with details.
But for Jalen Brunson, the Finals MVP at the center of the Knicks’ run, the answer is less settled. Speaking to New York Magazine, Brunson said the White House trip hasn’t even been fully discussed within the team yet.
“We haven’t discussed it,” Brunson said. “But as a team, we’ll discuss it and we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Dolan, by contrast, sounded far more definitive when asked about the trip on WFAN the day before the championship parade. “We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan said. “We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course.”
He framed the invitation as something personal as well as ceremonial. “Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
The contrast between Dolan’s certainty and Brunson’s “we’ll cross that bridge” wording lands in a familiar spot for the Knicks’ recent political and sports history: this is a trip that carries meaning beyond the schedule.
Trump previously stepped into Knicks history in a way no sitting president had done before. He became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game when he joined Dolan for Game 3. sitting in Dolan’s suite. That night. the reception wasn’t warm—Trump was booed the only time he was shown on the Jumbotron before the game. The Knicks lost 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs, ending a 13-game winning streak. New York regrouped and finished off the Spurs in five games, ultimately ending a 53-year title drought.
After the championship, Trump congratulated the team on Truth Social, singled out Brunson, and called the title maybe the greatest in basketball history.
Still, the White House visit has been a source of hesitation for champions during Trump’s presidency. Several teams skipped the traditional trip during his first term. including the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder passed as well, citing timing.
In 2017, the Warriors’ situation became tangled in public disagreement: Trump withdrew the Warriors’ invitation after Stephen Curry said he was reluctant to go, and players across those teams cited disagreements with Trump’s politics.
The Knicks’ situation now looks different on the surface—Dolan says the invitation is accepted—but Brunson’s comments show how quickly the conversation can diverge once it moves from ownership to the players themselves.
For now, the invitation is on the table. The question is whether Brunson’s wait-and-see approach will end with a final yes—or whether the team’s internal discussion determines the next step.
New York Knicks Jalen Brunson James Dolan White House invitation Donald Trump NBA Finals WFAN New York Magazine Truth Social Golden State Warriors Toronto Raptors Oklahoma City Thunder Stephen Curry