U.S. President Donald Trump received some flak for allegedly falling asleep during Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. The accusations reached an all-time high when ESPN's Stephen A. Smith brought it to light shortly after the contest. But Knicks owner James Dolan came to defend Trump with his side of the story.
During a guest appearance on “The Carton Show” on WFAN660, Dolan claimed that Trump never once fell asleep during the game. James Dolan explained that he was talking with the President throughout the entire contest, and ended his statement by declaring Donald Trump is a true fan of the Knicks.
“I was with him the whole time. We were talking the whole time. He was very much awake,” said Dolan about Trump… “Whatever you think about him, he's a Knicks fan.”
"I was with him the whole time. We were talking the whole time. He was very much awake… Whatever you think about him, he's a Knicks fan."
James Dolan on the viral video of President Trump seemingly falling asleep.
(via @CartonShowWFAN)pic.twitter.com/EJrKmZUYSa https://t.co/wvlgdd1jMe
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 10, 2026
The viral video that had many individuals teasing the soon-to-be 80-year-old President for falling asleep did make it appear as though he caught at least a couple of minutes of shut-eye. However, the video is a bit blurry, and it's hard to tell if Trump's eyes were open or closed.
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Donald Trump looked to be falling asleep during Game 3. pic.twitter.com/qlutj81byP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 9, 2026
Donald Trump's appearance at Game 3 was historic, as he became the first sitting U.S. President to ever attend an NBA Finals game. His presence also came with controversy, as the heightened security forced fans to go through a TSA-like checkpoint before entering the arena. Fans outside of Madison Square Garden were also not allowed to have watch parties, despite that being the norm in New York.
With the alleged sleeping incident in the past, the NBA Finals are moving forward. The Knicks are taking on the Spurs in Game 4 in New York on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST.
U. S. President Donald Trump received some flak for allegedly falling asleep during Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. The accusations reached an all-time high when ESPN's Stephen A. Smith brought it to light shortly after the contest. But Knicks owner James Dolan came to defend Trump with his side of the story.