Knicks fans celebrate winning first NBA championship since 1973
New York Knicks fans took to the streets to celebrate the team’s first NBA championship in more than 50 years.
The NBA champion will make his first visit to the White House under President Donald Trump’s administration.
New York Knicks owner James Dolan, who invited President Trump to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, said on Wednesday, June 17, that the team would accept the president’s invitation. He made the comments during an appearance on WFAN New York.
“Actually, thank you for asking that. I just received an invitation from the White House and I accepted it,” Dolan said during his appearance. “We still need to figure out the details and stuff, but of course we invited the president to the game. He’s a friend. We’ve known him for 30 years and we’re very proud to be able to bring the team to the White House.”
This acceptance could provoke a polarized reaction from some players in New York who may be on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
For example, forward Josh Hart posted a message on social media after Joe Biden’s victory in November 2020 in which he described Trump in derogatory terms.
The previous five NBA champions crowned under Trump have each declined to visit the White House since 2017, when the Warriors won the first of two consecutive titles during the Trump administration.
There was some drama in the first Golden State championship after Warriors star guard Stephen Curry and coach Steve Kerr each said they were not interested in visiting the White House.
President Trump then infamously rescinded the invitation, citing Curry by name in a social media post.
In September 2017, President Trump wrote, “It is considered a great honor for the winning team to go to the White House. Stephen Curry is hesitant, so the invitation is withdrawn!”
LeBron James also got involved, posting a post of his own calling President Trump a “bastard” and adding, “It was a great honor to go to the White House, until you showed up!”
The Warriors declined to visit after their 2018 championship, and the Toronto Raptors chose not to visit the White House or Ottawa’s Parliament House in 2019, citing scheduling conflicts.
The Lakers won a championship in 2020, but also declined to do so, but the coronavirus pandemic would have complicated a potential White House visit.
Three of the four NBA champion teams, the Bucks, Warriors and Celtics, each visited the White House during the Biden administration.
The Nuggets were scheduled to visit after the 2023 championship, but the visit was postponed due to scheduling conflicts with the White House. However, the rescheduled date was the day before a key game against the Timberwolves, so the Nuggets opted to skip the event.
Then, after Trump regained the presidency after the 2024 general election, the Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals. Oklahoma City also declined to visit them, citing scheduling conflicts.
“While we have been in contact with the White House and appreciate and appreciate the communication thus far, the timing was not right,” the team said in a statement.
Dolan, a longtime supporter and donor to President Trump, sat next to the president in his suite on June 8 during New York’s only loss of the series, a 115-111 Game 3 loss to the Spurs.
“Well, I’ve been a Nick fan for a long time and I’ve been a Jim Dolan fan for a long time,” Trump said on June 4. “He’s a good guy, okay? He’s wanted to win for a long time and he hates losing. He’s got a great team.”
