President Donald Trump drew both cheers and boos Monday night when he attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden to watch his hometown New York Knicks take on the San Antonio Spurs.
According to the New York Post, Trump’s appearance marked the first time a sitting president has attended an NBA Finals game.
The president watched from a suite as the Knicks hosted their first Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years. New York entered the night holding a 2-0 lead in the series and seeking its first NBA title since 1973.
During the National Anthem, Trump was shown on the arena’s Jumbotron while saluting NYPD officers carrying the American flag.
The crowd reacted with a mix of applause and loud boos.
Trump attended as a guest of Knicks owner James Dolan and was joined by several administration officials, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
The game also attracted a star-studded crowd that included New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Dave Chappelle, Larry David, and Pete Davidson.
“I actually think it’s pretty remarkable that you’ve got Trump and Mamdani in the same building tonight,” Knicks fan Lorenzo Caradonna told The Post.
“There aren’t many places left where people from completely different political universes are all focused on the same thing.”
“For a few hours, everybody’s just a Knicks fan. That’s kind of refreshing.”
Trump’s visit prompted heavy security around Madison Square Garden.
The Secret Service and NYPD established a large perimeter around the arena, and fans were required to pass through multiple security checkpoints before entering.
“The security situation was unbelievable,” fan David Rosen said.
“I understand why it had to be that way with Trump here, but it took forever to get inside.”
Trump has attended several major sporting events during his second term and recently praised the Knicks’ playoff run.
“Boy, what a team! They win all their games,” Trump said last month. “They really have some great players.”
Not everyone welcomed the visit. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries questioned Trump’s connection to the team, while Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said it was “cool” the president was attending but added the team would play the same regardless of who was in the building.