President Donald Trump, the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals, was booed by fellow New York Knicks fans at Madison Square Garden on Monday before Game 3 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Shown on the jumbotron saluting the American flag during the national anthem, Trump received a chorus of boos but downplayed the reception after the game — a 115-111 Spurs win that cut the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1.
“It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers,” he told reporters ahead of boarding Air Force One bound for Washington after staying until the game ended. “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
The Athletic reported that Trump, 79, a native New Yorker, drew louder boos than the Spurs.
Invited to attend Game 3 by Knicks owner James Dolan, Trump sat in a suite near midcourt, halfway up the seating area, in a box constructed for his visit with bulletproof glass. The glass was one of several security measures taken with Trump in attendance.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was welcome to the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999, when the Knicks lost to the Spurs, adding that the President is a “genuine Knicks fan.”
“What makes sports so special, especially when there’s so much that divides people, is that it’s something we have in common,” Silver told ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” before Game 3. “We should look for those things we have in common and build off that.”
According to ESPN, fans made rude gestures toward Trump upon his motorcade’s arrival at MSG, along with others holding signs that read “Trump must go.”
Multiple checkpoints were set up for fans, the media and stadium workers to show their ticket or pass to gain entry. Police and Secret Service personnel covered every corner outside the arena.
“Yes, there’s some inconvenience to the fans, but looking around at the arena, it’s packed,” Silver said. “People listened, they came early, they got through the extra security, which is necessary.”
Both coaches downplayed any talk that President Trump’s presence was a distraction to the teams ahead of Game 3.
“My focus is just what’s next and what’s in front of me, and Game 3 is front of us right now,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I feel our group is that way, too.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended Game 3. He told the media he purchased his own standing-room-only ticket, spending nearly $1,000.
