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President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game Monday night in New York.
A native New Yorker, Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between his hometown Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs, sitting in a suite with members of his family, Knicks owner James Dolan, Bruce Blakeman and others, with NBA commissioner Adam Silver joining him later.
Trump criticized the NBA for being “highly political” in 2020. NBA players were allowed to wear social justice messages on their jerseys, and several players knelt for the national anthem.
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President Donald Trump looks on before Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
“I hope football and baseball watch and learn because the same thing will happen to them. Stand tall for our country and our flag!!!” Trump wrote to X on September 1, 2020.
Pakinomist Digital/OutKick asked Trump after the game if he felt the NBA had moved away from its “leftist” tendencies. But it seems Trump will put politics aside if it means watching a good ball.
“It’s a little left-leaning. I think it tends to be a little left-leaning. But it’s great entertainment,” Trump said.
Trump also praised the NBA for getting “tougher” in recent years, saying he didn’t remember such a tough defense 10 years ago.
President Donald Trump watches the start of Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TURN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP’S NBA FINAL VISIT
Trump received a massive reaction from the Madison Square Garden crowd Monday, most unlike how he was received in Florida for the college football national championship.
Trump’s arrival in New York meant increased security throughout the city. A security fence went up around MSG. The Secret Service and several law enforcement officials performed their duties to the highest standard, which meant longer lines and wait times to enter the arena.
Se parties in the area were canceled, and the NYPD claimed it was because of security for Trump’s visit.
President Donald Trump watches the first quarter of Game Three between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Trump has attended numerous sporting events since the beginning of his second term, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans two seasons ago, the Daytona 500, college football national championships, the men’s tennis US Open and the Ryder Cup, among others.
