New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he will be attending the NBA Finals Game 3 scheduled for 8 June 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York. This will make him the first sitting US President to do so.
Trump said that he was invited by the the Knicks owner James Dolan and that he is excited to watch the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs battle it out on the court.
“I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time,” Trump told ABC7 News praising the team’s recent games. He has already attended several major sporting events in his second term as President, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup. The proof of his long-lasting association with the team exists through official photographs, interviews, public statements and acknowledgement from NBA leadership.
Coincidentally, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also a fan of the Knicks and has shown his support for the team several times on X.
Trump’s decision to appear for the game has had several repercussions that not all fans are happy about. One of them is that the Game 3 watch party outside the Madison Square Garden has been cancelled due to security concerns. In addition, fans now have to arrive two hours early, with no bags.
“A strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make every effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum. Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive at least two hours before tip-off to allow additional time for screening and security”, MSG and the US Secret Service said Saturday in a statement posted on X.
Trump’s decision has led to several reactions on X by people commenting on how the NBA’s biggest games brings together politics, celebrity culture and basketball.
“Our beautiful game gonna get ruined with this bum in house”, wrote an X user.
“This is nothing more than him desperate to have people cheer for him because he’s an empty angry little man who will never get that hug from his daddy that he desperately wanted,” commented Sam Waldo on X.
Driven by the decades-long wait and sky-high demand, this series has become the most expensive in NBA history, with the cheapest ticket prices exceeding $7,000 for Madison Square Garden games during this Finals (Games 3, 4 and 6), shattering the all-time record of $1,965 from 2024 in Dallas.
(Edited by Janaki Pande)