President Donald Trump announced his intention to attend an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden after receiving an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.
The president revealed he had been asked to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, but New York completed a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, eliminating the Wednesday game before Trump could accept Dolan’s invitation.
“Boy, what a team,” Trump commented at the White House while taking a break from a Cabinet meeting. “I think I’ll be going to one of the games. Yeah, I was invited by numerous people.”
The Knicks have reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 and are waiting to learn their opponent from the Western Conference finals. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder currently lead the San Antonio Spurs 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday night.
The Western Conference winner will host the Knicks on June 3 and June 5. New York will host Game 3 on June 8 and Game 4 on June 10 in the best-of-seven championship series.
Throughout his two presidential terms, Trump has made appearances at numerous major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, U.S. Open tennis tournament, Ryder Cup and Daytona 500. Most recently, he attended a UFC event at Madison Square Garden in November 2024.
Trump, a former longtime New York resident, maintains connections to both the franchise and Dolan, who also manages the arena and the NHL’s New York Rangers.
