Trump attends – President Donald Trump has attacked the NBA over player activism and politics while also building his public brand around visibility. Despite his sharp criticism, he plans to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Spurs at Madison Square Ga
For years. President Donald Trump has described the NBA’s on-court and off-court politics as a threat to the sport itself. He’s called player activism a force that could “destroy” basketball. tied league messaging to television ratings declines. and pushed back against protests that followed police shootings during the 2020 playoffs.
Then comes Monday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals. the first time the New York Knicks have reached the championship series since 1999. Trump has said he plans to attend the matchup between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden—and the decision lands in a place where the audience. and the message. could be as loud as the basketball.
The Knicks-Spurs showdown features San Antonio’s 7’4” superstar center/power forward Victor Wembanyama. With the game expected to be among the most watched televised NBA Finals matchups in recent memory. Trump’s presence also comes with a clear incentive for exposure. Presidential historian Matt Dallek said the president “loves attention” and “loves eyeballs on him and being at the center of everything. ” adding that even after moving to Florida. Trump “still identifies in many ways as a New Yorker.”.
Dallek framed the timing as a chance to combine visibility with controversy. “The Knicks being in the finals for the first time in many decades is a chance for him to kill two birds with one stone. ” Dallek said. “He can generate some controversy. He can put all eyes on him. and he can bask in the reflective glory of the New York Knicks. even if he’s getting booed or heckled.”.
The irony is sharp: Trump has shown little interest in the NBA’s politics, but he appears drawn to the spotlight the sport provides when millions are watching.
Trump has been in the habit of showing up at major sports spectacles during his second term, analysts say. The calendar includes numerous golf events and championships. Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami. the Daytona 500 auto race. the U.S. Open Men’s Final in tennis, the FIFA Club World Cup Final, and the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Trump is especially fond of attending UFC fight nights and events that include members of his Cabinet and inner circle. An octagon arena is near completion on the South Lawn of the White House for a UFC fight on his birthday.
Game 3 may feel different because it’s NBA Finals—and the National Basketball Association believes Trump would be the first-ever president to attend an NBA finals game. Even President Barack Obama. a huge basketball fan. enjoyed a close relationship with the NBA and attended games. but never the NBA finals.
This won’t be the first Knicks connection for Trump, either. Before he entered politics in 2015, Trump occasionally attended and sat courtside. The invitation now. however. is tied to the current moment—despite years of Trump’s public opposition to how he believes the league mixes politics into sports.
Trump’s NBA stance has been consistent since at least 2020. During the 2020 NBA Playoffs in the “Bubble” in Orlando, Florida, after controversial police shootings, some players temporarily boycotted games. Some wore Black Lives Matter messaging on jerseys and courts. Trump criticized players for kneeling during the national anthem and for turning the league into a “political organization.” Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Aug. 28, 2020, he said, “I think what they’re doing to the NBA in particular is gonna destroy basketball.”.
He has also linked players’ political involvement to what he described as a sharp decline in NBA television ratings. No NBA champion team has ever visited the Trump White House, in contrast with winners in other sports. Winning NBA teams were frequent guests at the Obama White House.
Trump’s criticism has extended beyond league protests. In 2017. he tweeted that he was disinviting Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry from the team’s traditional champions’ trip to Washington after Curry said he would “vote no” on attending. citing the administration’s divisiveness. Curry said at the time. “By acting and not going. hopefully that will inspire some change when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to.” Ultimately. the Warriors did not visit the White House.
The next year, Curry and then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James publicly said neither team would accept an invite, and Trump announced he wouldn’t invite either team.
The White House says Trump was invited by MSG CEO James Dolan, a political donor. Trump said he might attend Game 4 as well. In remarks to reporters in the Oval Office on June 4. he said. “The answer is: yes. he has invited me and I’m going.” Trump added. “Could be Monday — maybe I’ll do both.” He also said. “Well. I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time. and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan. He’s a nice guy, OK?. He spent a long time wanting to win, and he’s a competitive guy. He’s got a team that’s amazing.”.
Even with Dolan’s invitation, the visit carries a predictable challenge: the politics of the venue.
Dallek described what comes next as Trump walking into “the lion’s den.” He said a large majority of New Yorkers—especially in Manhattan—voted against Trump and “do not like him and think he’s been a bad president by all accounts.” Dallek expects some fans to resent the attention. “It’s going to be a huge security issue. ” he said. adding that some fans would rather the focus be on the Knicks and have him stay away.
The Knicks’ courtside mix adds another layer. Hollywood director Spike Lee, a prominent Trump critic and die-hard Knicks fan, will be in his usual courtside seat.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver welcomed Trump’s attendance, framing it as an opportunity to bring people together. Silver said the visit could “emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” according to the Guardian. Silver also called Trump “very much a New Yorker” and vouched for his connection to the sport. saying. “Donald Trump. before he ever ran for office. he was a big Knicks fan.”.
Behind the hopeful branding from league officials, the practical reality is crowd reaction and security planning. The latest approval ratings for Trump’s administration show record lows across much of the country. and in New York state they generally track in the low 30s. Those numbers tend to be even lower in the city because of its overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning voter base.
Conservative media coverage, including supportive edits, could also shape what audiences see at home. Selective edits when airing clips of Trump’s appearances have sparked controversy at past sporting and cultural events. including his attendance at the Kennedy Center in April. For the Garden. Trump may benefit from edits that spare some viewers from hearing booing that’s likely from at least some Knicks fans.
Security has already shifted accordingly. The Knicks are upping security for the game in concert with the Secret Service. In a statement. the team said a “strict no-bag policy will be in effect. ” and fans should limit personal items “to an absolute minimum.” The Knicks also urged fans to get to the arena at least two hours ahead of the 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff time in order to get through “TSA-style screening procedures.”.
There’s another wildcard: a popular progressive New York mayor who may not share the mood in the stands. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America member, said he has already bought his own ticket and plans to sit “in a very different section of the stadium.”
Ticket prices add to the disconnect that many residents feel. The least expensive tickets to Game 3 were listed at more than $7. 000 on resale sites including Vivid Seats and Gametime. NBC 4 New York said June 4. When a reporter told Trump that the average New Yorker can’t afford those prices. Trump replied. “They can watch it on television. It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television. But that’s the way life goes.”.
Mamdani has dodged questions about whether the two will try to meet at the event. The White House did not respond to a request for comment made June 5 about Trump’s intentions for watching the game.
The sequence of facts—Trump’s long-running criticism of the NBA as political. his history of turning protests into a television-and-message fight. and now his decision to attend an NBA Finals game in New York—creates a tension that will be hard to miss once the doors open. The Knicks are ready for the security challenge. The league is ready with a message of unity. And New Yorkers will likely decide. in real time. whether the moment is about basketball—or about the man walking onto the court.
Trump NBA criticism Knicks Spurs Game 3 Madison Square Garden Victor Wembanyama Adam Silver Matt Dallek Secret Service security approval ratings New York Spike Lee courtside
So he hates the NBA but is going anyway??
Sounds like Trump just wants cameras, tbh. Like if he can stand in the crowd and get the photo, he’s fine with it. Also why Knicks fans gotta deal with the politics of it all.
Wait I thought he was trashing the NBA because of the kneeling stuff, but the article says player activism could destroy basketball. So is he going to tell Wembanyama to be quiet or what? Idk I’m confused. Spurs Knicks finals 1999 and now this dude shows up like it’s his league.
Honestly it’s all ratings and branding. Like they say TV numbers are down so he attacks the whole league and then still goes to Game 3 at MSG like “see, I’m not against it.” And Madison Square Garden is literally in New York, so of course the crowd’s gonna be loud… unless he gets mad at them for cheering or something.