Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, has confirmed that he will be attending the NBA Finals in New York to witness his favorite team, the Knicks, battle it out against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, after initial speculations suggested he would be attending.
While speaking to the press, President Donald Trump revealed that the Knicks’ owner, James Dolan, invited him to the games, and as a big fan of the Knicks, he could not refuse.
“Well, I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time, and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan. He’s a nice guy who has spent a lot of time wanting to win. He’s a competitive guy, and he’s got a team that’s amazing. I don’t think they have lost a playoff game. Can you imagine that?”
“I saw the beginning of the game [1 of the NBA Finals], and it wasn’t looking good. I missed the middle because I was talking to generals all night long. But I watched the end of the game, and they were really dominant.”
“Wemby is a great player. He’s going to be a great player, and he is already a great player. I say, how do you guard this guy? He’s seven-foot-five, and he’s got a great shot. But they found a way to do it. And they’re a really great team, and I’m happy for Jim, because Jim has been fighting hard to produce such a team.”
“So you never know, but the answer is yes, I’m going… It could be Monday, maybe I’ll do both,” Trump said.
The NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, also responded to the confirmation that President Trump would be in attendance at Game 3 and maybe Game 4 as well.
“President Trump is very much a New Yorker. I’m thrilled another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knicks team,” Silver said.
Donald Trump and James Dolan, the chairman of Madison Square Garden, have been close friends for many years. Their enduring relationship is evident in Dolan’s financial support for Trump’s political campaigns and his decision to marry at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Together, they will be making history now, as this would be the first time that a sitting POTUS attends an NBA Finals game. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George H.W. Bush were among the prominent presidents who were basketball fans.
But never before at the time of their presidency have any of the presidents taken the time to attend the NBA Finals physically. Hence, this becomes a landmark event in the league’s history.
Game 3 is scheduled for Monday, June 8, and Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10. We will likely see President Trump sitting courtside at both these games. No wonder the ticket prices for Game 3 have already shot up in the secondary market. Madison Square Garden will be a sight to behold on both of these game days.
