Donald Trump caused a significant stir in New York City after arriving to watch Game Three of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. His last-minute decision to attend the highly anticipated game resulted in a heavy security operation that saw businesses shutter, events cancelled, and patrons subjected to intense screening.
After passing protests on the way into Madison Square Garden, the president was met with a loud chorus of boos from fans when he appeared on screens during the national anthem. Standing alongside his granddaughter Kai, Trump appeared to smile as the angry crowd made their voices heard.
The president's motorcade arrived at Madison Square Garden around 7:35 pm local time. Protesters lined the streets with signs reading: “Airball Trump,” “Stop war on Iran,” “See you in hell, Trump,” and “Go Knicks, f**k Trump.” The prevailing chant among protesters was, “Knicks in four, Trump no more.”
NBA Commissioner Defends Trump's Presence
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did not echo those chants, instead taking a minute of airtime to praise the president while unimpressed former NBA stars watched on in silence. “He was a fixture at Madison Square Garden... he had courtside seats, he was here all the time. He was at drafts and he's a genuine Knicks fan,” said Silver. “Yes, there's some inconvenience to the fans here, but looking around, the arena is packed. People got through extra security... we should be using sports to create more community, not less.”
Footage from the lead-up showed armed police and Secret Service agents patrolling the streets, with high fences erected around the stadium. Inside, NBA star Victor Wembanyama was pictured being stopped by men wielding security wands. Spurs player De'Aaron Fox told the media that accessing the arena was “like getting screened by TSA.”
“I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” Fox said. “We've got more, obviously more security. We've got to send stuff early, I think our buses are a little earlier. The less stuff you can bring the better. Obviously, we're getting screened like it's TSA. A little inconvenient for the people that's gotta play. It is what it is.”
According to the New York Times, the NBA credentialed over 700 media members from across the world for this game, with around 100 receiving 'Tier 1' status that would have allowed them locker room and court access. However, due to Trump's visit, media members were given no pre-game locker room access and had their court access cut short.
Trump Tells Fans to Watch Game on TV Instead
Trump is the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game, after being invited to Game Three by Knicks owner James Dolan. He watched the game from the owner's suite, accompanied by EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, senior aide Dan Scavino, Knicks owner James Dolan, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and his granddaughter Kai Trump.
Trump's arrival led to a major closure of streets and businesses in a five-block radius of the arena. The New York Police Department and Secret Service established a multi-block security perimeter, meaning no one without a ticket or “valid reason” could come within five blocks. MSG announced that Trump's visit forced the Knicks to cancel plans for Game Three's outdoor viewing party outside the arena. Thousands attended the watch parties for Games One and Two, which proved highly popular among Knicks fans who have waited over 27 years to see their team in the finals.
“Cancelling watch parties and punishing thousands of passionate fans who cannot afford Madison Square Garden's ridiculous ticket prices just because one political figure is attending is completely unfair,” wrote one fan. “Knicks fans waited decades for them to not even be able to afford to get in or even have a watch party,” wrote another.
When asked about the exorbitant ticket prices, Trump suggested that Knicks fans were victims of the team's success. “They can watch it on television,” the president told reporters last week aboard Air Force One. “It's sort of semi-free to watch it on television. That's the way life goes.”
The get-in price for a ticket is higher than the average cost of monthly rent in New York, reaching over $6,000 (AU$8,519), with the best seats costing upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he bought his ticket for about $1,000 directly from MSG, opting to skip courtside tickets for a more localised game-day experience. The 34-year-old stood with regular fans for the duration of the game.
Trump is a fan of sorts, frequently appearing at the Garden in his New York heyday. However, when discussing the team in recent weeks, he failed to mention players, instead focusing on the team's notoriously unpopular owner, who he described as “nice” and said had invited him to the finals.
Stars Hit Out at 'Selfish' Trump
High-profile NBA broadcaster Stephen A. Smith did not mince words when discussing the president's attendance on ESPN, branding the move “selfish and narcissistic.” “This president has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious,” Smith said. “It is selfish. It is narcissistic. It is ridiculous that he is coming to this game. I would say the same thing if it was Obama. Stay home … Stay at the White House.”
American political activist and author Ann Coulter said it would be a “disaster” for fans and New Yorkers. “Of all the selfish, narcissistic things Trump has done, attending MSG to see the Knicks play in person Monday night is the absolute worst,” she wrote on X. “20,000 attendees will be MASSIVELY inconvenienced for all the extra security, the Knicks Watch Party at Garden is cancelled, 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 a while.”
Last year, thousands of fans missed the start of the US Open men's singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner due to lengthy security lines as a result of Trump's attendance. Despite the US Tennis Association delaying the start of the match by a half-hour, many fans still could not get in because of multiple security checkpoints at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite.
