United States President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Monday night in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
“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 and he’s got a team that’s amazing. I don’t think they’ve lost a playoff game. Can you imagine that?” Trump said on Thursday.
“The answer is yes, he’s invited me and I’m going,” he added.
The President’s decision to attend drew mixed feelings, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who also attended the game, made it clear Trump was welcome.
“I will be in a very different section of the stadium (than Trump),” Mamdani said at a news conference last week via The Athletic. “And I think we look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have that chance to win that championship.”
However, the president may not have been as excited to see the game as the mayor had thought ahead of the game. During the intense action on the floor, which resulted in a loss for the hometown Knicks, the President appeared to fall asleep.
New York Politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had a blunt message for the President after seeing the video on X.
“WAKE TF UP,” AOC posted.
WAKE TF UP https://t.co/0aPlrTrqfl
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 9, 2026
In the days leading up to Game 3, Trump said that he was undecided on whether he would attend just one game or both Games 3 and 4 in New York. However, after the cold reception and his seeming disinterest, it wouldn’t be the most shocking thing if the President opted to watch Game 4 from the more-friendly confines of the White House.