Presidential historians say presidents love the spotlight, both in arenas and especially when millions of people are watching from home.
President Trump plans to attend Knicks’ NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden
President Trump said he plans to watch the New York Knicks play, as the team advances to the Finals for the first time since 1999.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has publicly slammed the NBA, the home of player activity, for overtly liberal politics that could “destroy” the game of basketball. And he is deeply unpopular in New York City, where his job approval ratings are historically low.
So why is he scheduled to attend Monday’s Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden for the first time in 27 years?
To steal the words of former President Bill Clinton: “It’s politics, you idiot.”
The game between the Spurs and 7-foot-4 superstar center/power forward Victor Wembaneyama and the Knicks in their first NBA Finals since 1999 is sure to be one of the most televised NBA games in recent memory.
And while Trump has remained in tune with the pro MAGA Ultimate Fighting Championship crowd, he is likely to attend to build his brand and give himself another chance to be seen by the more than 10 million people watching at home, presidential historian Matt Dallek told USA TODAY on June 5.
“He loves the attention. He loves the attention and being the center of everything,” Dallek said. “And even though he left camp and moved to Florida, he still identifies as a New Yorker in many ways.”
“It’s a chance for him to kill two birds with one stone by helping the Knicks reach the Finals for the first time in decades,” Dallek said. “He can be a little controversial. Even if he’s being booed or heckled, he can still get all the attention and bask in the reflexive glory of the New York Knicks.”
Is Trump a basketball and sports fan?
Analysts say President Trump has already attended multiple sporting events in the first 18 months of his second term.
This includes numerous golf events and championships, Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami, the Daytona 500 auto race, the U.S. Open Men’s Tennis Finals, the FIFA Club World Cup Finals, and even the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Trump especially likes to attend UFC fight nights and matches with his Cabinet members and aides. An octagonal arena on the South Lawn of the White House is nearing completion for the UFC fight on his birthday.
But Game 3 will be different, more intimate, and historic in that the National Basketball Association believes Trump will be the first president ever to attend an NBA Finals game. Even President Barack Obama, a huge basketball fan, enjoys a close relationship with the NBA, attending games but never attending the NBA Finals.
As for the Knicks, Trump occasionally attended and sat courtside until he officially entered politics in 2015.
“Especially the NBA is going to destroy basketball.”
Dating back to at least the summer of 2020, Trump has frequently criticized the NBA and its players for supporting social justice protests and political causes.
Friction peaked during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which were held in the “bubble” in Orlando, Florida, when some players briefly boycotted games following a controversial police shooting. Some wore Black Lives Matter messages on their jerseys and coats.
In response, President Trump criticized the league for turning the league into a “political organization” by kneeling during the national anthem. And speaking to reporters on Air Force One on August 28, 2020, he said, “I think what they’re doing specifically to the NBA is going to destroy basketball.”
President Trump has also frequently linked players’ political involvement to the sharp decline in NBA television ratings. Unlike championship teams in other sports, no NBA championship team has ever visited President Trump’s White House. And the winning NBA team often visited President Obama’s White House.
In 2017, President Trump tweeted that he was rescinding Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s invitation to the team’s legendary championship trip to Washington. This is because Curry said he would “vote no” to attend, citing conflict between the administration.
“My hope is that by not going, but by acting, we can bring about some change in this country in terms of what we tolerate, what we accept, and what we turn a blind eye to,” Curry said at the time.
In the end, the entire team never visited the White House. The following year, Curry and then-Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James publicly announced that neither team would accept an invitation, and Trump announced that he would not invite either team to the White House.
The White House said Trump was invited by MSG CEO James Dolan, a political donor. President Trump has said he may participate in Game 4 as well.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 4 about Dolan’s invitation, “The answer is, yes, he invited me, so I’m going to go,” adding, “It could be Monday. Maybe I’ll go to both.”
“I’ve been a Nick fan for a long time, and I’m a Jim Dolan fan,” Trump said. “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.”
President Trump “Into the Lion’s Den” at Madison Square Garden
It’s difficult to predict how the crowd will react, but Dallek isn’t optimistic about President Trump.
“Obviously, he’s going to go into the lion’s den. The vast majority of New Yorkers, not just Manhattan in particular, but New Yorkers in general, voted against him and don’t like him and think he’s a bad president no matter how you look at it,” Dallek said.
“And I think some fans are probably going to be a little upset,” Dallek said. “That would be a big security issue. And some fans may want to focus on the Knicks and stay away from him.”
Hollywood director Spike Lee, a prominent Trump critic and avid Knicks fan, will take his usual courtside seat.
According to the Guardian, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver welcomed President Trump’s attendance, calling the visit an opportunity to “highlight what we have in common, not our differences.”
The commissioner called Trump “a true New Yorker” and vouched for his long ties to the sport. “Donald Trump was a big Knicks fan even before he ran for office,” Silver said.
Is Trump popular in New York?
The latest approval ratings released for the Trump administration show the administration is at or near record lows nationwide. This is especially true in New York, where Mr. Trump’s job approval rating typically hovers in the low 30s.
Given the city’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, his approval ratings tend to be even lower, often significantly lower.
And thanks to supportive conservative media like Fox News, which selectively edits out news clips about President Trump’s appearances when they air them, many viewers will likely avoid hearing the likely boos from at least some Knicks fans in the Garden. Such edits have caused controversy at past sporting events and cultural events, such as his appearance at the Kennedy Center in April.
The Knicks are working with the Secret Service to beef up security for the game in anticipation of President Trump’s attendance.
“A strict no-bag policy will be in place and fans should make every effort to limit their personal belongings to the absolute minimum,” the agency said in a statement, adding that fans are asked to arrive at least two hours before the 8:30 p.m. ET tip-off time to pass through a “TSA-style screening process.”
Another wild card – the popular and progressive mayor of New York
Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, said he had already bought his own ticket to the game and planned to sit in a “completely different area of the stadium.”
NBC 4 New York reported on June 4 that the cheapest tickets for Game 3 were listed for more than $7,000 on various ticket resale sites, including Vivid Seats and GameTime.
When a reporter told Trump that the average New Yorker couldn’t afford that price, Trump said, “They can be seen on TV. It’s kind of semi-free to watch on TV. But that’s the way life goes.”
Mamdani dodged a question on whether the two sides would try to meet at the event. The White House did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on June 5 about President Trump’s intentions to attend the game.
