President Donald Trump has spent years trashing the NBA as a hotbed of liberal activism, warning it could “destroy” basketball. He’s deeply unpopular in New York City, where his job approval ratings have historically bottomed out. So why is he planning to attend Monday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden? The answer, as former President Bill Clinton might say, is simple: it’s the politics, stupid.
The matchup pits the Spurs, led by 7-foot-4 superstar Victor Wembanyama, against the Knicks in their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999. It’s shaping up to be one of the most-watched games in recent memory. And while Trump typically aligns with the pro-MAGA Ultimate Fighting Championship crowd, presidential historian Matt Dallek told USA TODAY on June 5 that the event offers Trump a prime chance to build his brand and grab the attention of over 10 million viewers at home. “He loves attention. He loves eyeballs on him and being at the center of everything,” Dallek said. “Even though he decamped to Florida, he still identifies as a New Yorker.”
Dallek added that the Knicks’ long-awaited finals return lets Trump “kill two birds with one stone”: generate controversy, draw all eyes to himself, and bask in the reflected glory of the team—even if he gets booed or heckled. Trump has already attended a slew of sporting events in his second term’s first 18 months, including the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open Men’s Final, and multiple UFC fights. A new octagon arena is even being built on the White House’s South Lawn for a UFC bout on his birthday.
But Game 3 promises a more intimate, historic atmosphere. The NBA believes Trump would be the first president ever to attend an NBA finals game. Even Barack Obama, a huge basketball fan who enjoyed close ties with the league, never made it to a finals game. Trump himself sat courtside at Knicks games before entering politics in 2015.
His criticism of the NBA dates back to at least the summer of 2020, when players protested social injustice in the Orlando “Bubble.” Some wore Black Lives Matter messaging and knelt during the national anthem. Trump slammed the league as a “political organization” and told reporters on Air Force One on Aug. 28, 2020, that “what they’re doing to the NBA in particular is gonna destroy basketball.” He’s also tied the protests to what he claims is a sharp decline in TV ratings. No NBA champion team has ever visited the Trump White House, unlike winners in other sports. In 2017, Trump tweeted he was disinviting Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry from the traditional champions’ trip after Curry said he’d “vote no” on attending. The entire team stayed away, and the next year, Curry and LeBron James said neither team would accept an invite.
The White House says Trump was invited by MSG CEO James Dolan, a political donor. Trump told reporters on June 4 that he might also attend Game 4. “The answer is: yes, he has invited me and I’m going,” Trump said. “I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time.” Crowd reactions are uncertain, but Dallek isn’t optimistic. “He’s going into the lion’s den,” Dallek said. “A large majority of New Yorkers voted against him. I think there’ll be some fans who would rather the focus be on the Knicks.” Die-hard Knicks fan and Trump critic Spike Lee will be in his usual courtside seat. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver welcomed Trump’s attendance, calling it a chance to “emphasize what we have in common.”
Security is being ramped up, with a strict no-bag policy and TSA-style screening. The cheapest tickets are over $7,000 on resale sites. When a reporter noted that average New Yorkers can’t afford that, Trump replied, “They can watch it on television. It’s sort of semi-free. But that’s the way life goes.”
