**Summary:**
* **President Trump booed at NBA Finals game, White House calls him “King of New York”, Knicks lose 115-111.**
* **Trump attended as guest of Knicks owner James Dolan, security delays and fan inconveniences reported.**
* **“Trump Curse” trends after Knicks loss, White House portrayal of crowd reaction disputed, NBA Commissioner Silver addresses atmosphere.**
President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to appear at an NBA Finals game. The crowd booed him, and the Knicks lost.
The boos began when Trump appeared on the Jumbotron alongside Knicks owner James Dolan during the national anthem. The moment aired live on ABC, spread across X within minutes, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, the clip had become one of the most-discussed sports moments of the year.
Hours after the game, the White House’s official account on X posted a message calling Trump “the King of New York.” The boos, however, were already on video, and the internet had seen them.
> King of New York. [pic.twitter.com/RpIUpo99f9](https://t.co/RpIUpo99f9)
>
> — The White House (@WhiteHouse) [June 9, 2026](https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2064359920242209147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Trump attended as the guest of Knicks owner James Dolan, a longtime friend who has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to his presidential campaigns. His suite included Jared Kushner, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino.
The security operation surrounding his arrival set the tone before tip-off. Trump’s attendance caused waits of two hours or more for ticket-holding fans to clear entry checkpoints, and fan watch parties in the surrounding blocks were canceled because of the security perimeter. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox put it plainly before the game. “I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” he said. “We’re getting screened like it’s TSA.”
The Knicks lost 115-111, dropping their first game since April 23 and ending a 13-game playoff winning streak. It was the third consecutive major sporting event where Trump had visibly aligned himself with the losing side. At Super Bowl LIX, he publicly predicted a Kansas City Chiefs victory; the Philadelphia Eagles won 40-22. At the College Football Playoff National Championship in January, he watched from a suite at Hard Rock Stadium as the Miami Hurricanes fell to Indiana 27-21.
The “Trump Curse” trended for hours after the buzzer. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted the news of the Knicks’ loss alongside a screenshot of a White House post boasting of “the Trump Effect.”
It was not the first time the White House’s portrayal of a crowd reaction clashed with what was actually captured on camera. At the 2025 U.S. Open men’s final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the U.S. Tennis Association sent a memo to broadcasters instructing them not to show disruptions during Trump’s attendance. Boos were audible anyway on ESPN’s broadcast, and the White House called the reports “fake news.” Monday night offered no such opening — the NBA Finals aired on ABC without restrictions, and the footage was everywhere before the first quarter ended.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the atmosphere before tip-off. “Yes, there’s some inconvenience to the fans, but looking around at the arena, it’s packed,” Silver said. “I think we should use sports to create more of a sense of community.”