Donald Trump, the first sitting US President to attend the NBA Finals, was booed by New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden (MSG) on Monday before the third game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Shown on the giant screen (the jumbotron) saluting the American flag during the national anthem, Trump received a chorus of boos, but downplayed the reception after the game — in which the Spurs won 115-111, which reduced the Knicks’ lead in the series to 2-1.
“It was certainly spectacular. I think it was mainly applause,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One bound for Washington, after staying until the end of the game. “It was noisy and very enthusiastic,” he insisted. According to The AthleticTrump, a native of New York, was booed more than the Spurs, who played on the opposing field.
Invited to watch Game 3 by Knicks owner James Dolan, Trump sat in a suite near midfield, in the middle of the stands, in a box built with bullet-proof glass specifically for his visit.
Glass was one of several security measures adopted. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was welcome at the first NBA Finals game in New York since the 1999 Knicks lost to the Spurs, adding that the President is a “true Knicks fan.”
“What makes sports so special, especially when there’s so much that divides people, is the fact that it’s something we have in common,” Silver told ESPN’s Inside the NBA before Game 3.
“We should look for the things we have in common and build from there.” According to ESPN, fans made rude gestures to Trump as his entourage arrived at MSG, along with others who held signs that read “Trump must go”.
Several control points were installed so that fans, media and stadium workers could present their ticket or pass to enter. The police and secret services covered every corner of the venue.
“Yes, there is some inconvenience for the fans, but looking at the arena, it is full,” said Silver. “People listened, they arrived early, they went through the extra security, which is necessary.”
Both coaches downplayed the possibility of President Trump’s presence being a distraction for the teams ahead of Game 3. “My focus is just on what’s next and what’s in front of me, and Game 3 is in front of us right now,” said Knicks coach Mike Brown, who would ultimately see his team beat after two winning games.
“I feel like our group is like that too.” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was also present at Game 3 and told the media that he bought his own ticket for a standing room seat, spending almost a thousand dollars.
Earlier this month, Mamdani signed an “order” suspending bedtime for New York children during the NBA Finals. This was signed when the mayor was surrounded by preschool children, who also signed by stamping their hands on the document.
Since 1973, the New York team has been trying to win its first title and is in the finals for the first time since 1999.
Games will begin at 8:30 p.m. ET and, according to the The New York Times“if the series goes all the way to Game 7, it is scheduled for June 19th, which would give the kids just under three weeks to stay up until the wee hours of the morning.”
News corrected at 3:33 pm: where it said “enemy camp”, it now reads “opponent camp”.
