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President Donald Trump is at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Trump, born and raised in New York City, used to be a regular attendee at Knicks games, and sat on Celebrity Row frequently in the 90s. “I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time,” Trump said in the Oval Office last week. While historically he sat courtside, tonight he will reportedly sit in a luxury suite.
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Trump seen in the backseat of a car as he drives to MSG.
Trump planned on attending Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, but the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. “I was invited to. I was going to go [to Game 5], but they closed it out very quickly. They’re great, and Jim Dolan’s a great guy — he’s, as you know, owns and in charge of Madison Square Garden. He’s having a good year,” Trump told the Post of controversial Knicks owner James Dolan. “What a team! They win all their games. They really have some great players…. I was invited by numerous people, and Jim, and I think it’s great. Great to see it. The Knicks have really, they’ve really suffered for years and they’re doing right now very well.”
Donald Trump And Marla Maples With Actor Elliott Gould At NBA Game
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Trump and then-girlfriend Marla Maples watch a New York Knicks basketball game with actor Elliott Gould at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York on March 5, 1991.
The NBA supported Dolan’s decision to invite Trump. “President Trump is very much a New Yorker,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this past Thursday. “I’m thrilled another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knicks team.” Knicks asked ticket holders to arrive two hours early for extra security screening, and to not bring any bags. In addition, the watch parties outside MSG have been canceled because of “the security requirements associated with an event of this scale and the need to maintain a secure environment for protective operations.”
Many fans have criticized his decision to attend. “His decision to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals will do for the game what his participation in seemingly everything does: make it actively worse, in one way or another, for everyone else involved,” sportswriter Shea Serrano told the Washington Post. Commentator Stephen A. Smith called it an “inconvenience” to the entire city. He added, “It has everything to do with him disrupting and contributing at the same time to the chaos that’s going to be existing at Madison Square Garden. If it were Barack Obama coming to the Garden, I would say, ‘Stay home. Stay at the White House.’”
Even Ann Coulter, an outspoken conservative, posted on X, “Of all the selfish, narcissistic things Trump has done, attending MSG to see the Knicks play in person Monday night is the absolute worst. 20,000 attendees will be MASSIVELY inconvenienced for all the extra security, the Knicks Watch Party at Garden Is canceled, thousands of extra law enforcement officers will be required (paid for by taxpayers), traffic will be a disaster -- all so he can sit in the Garden rather than watch the game on TV. Presidents ought to be willing to sacrifice once in awhile.”
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Trump at the 2025 U.S. Open.
Tonight is far from Trump’s first time attending a major sporting event as president. Last September, he was at the U.S. Open men’s singles finals and the first day of the Ryder Cup. Last year, he also attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans and the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium.
The Knicks currently lead the Spurs 2-0 in the finals. Game 4 will takes place this Wednesday, June 10 at MSG.
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Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.