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Celebrity Row might look a little different during the NBA Finals.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to attend a Knicks game in New York City next month when either the Spurs or Thunder visit Madison Square Garden. Games 3 and 4 will be played June 8 and 10.
“Jim Dolan’s a great guy,” Trump told reporters. “He’s having a good year. Boy, what a team. They win all their games. They have some great players. I think I’ll be going to one of the games. I was invited by numerous people and Jim. It’s great to see it. The Knicks have really suffered for years.”
The New York Times reported Tuesday night that Trump is considering attending.
No sitting president has ever attended an NBA Finals game, but President Barack Obama attended the 2019 Finals during Trump’s first term. The NBA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We don’t know if President Trump is coming to the Finals, but the President of the United States – no matter who is in office – is always welcome at all our venues,” an MSG spokesperson said in a statement before Trump’s comments.
Trump’s visit raises a slew of logistical and security questions, especially in New York City. Eight World Cup games will be played nearby in New Jersey between June 13 and the July 19 final.
The Secret Service has plenty of experience moving Trump around the Big Apple. Madison Square Garden is roughly 1.5 miles from Trump Tower, where he still has a residence and occasionally visits.
“The U.S. Secret Service coordinates closely with law enforcement partners as well as event staff anytime the President travels,” a Secret Service spokesperson said to Front Office Sports.
In his second term, Trump has attended far more major sporting events than his predecessors. In the past year he’s attended the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, and UFC 314, among other events. He attended the US Open men’s singles final in September; his presence delayed the tennis match by about 30 minutes due to security.
Trump has a longstanding friendship with Dolan. The Knicks owner has donated to Trump in previous campaigns; while he did not do so in 2024, he gave then-candidate Trump free usage of Madison Square Garden for a major rally days before the election. Dolan has said he got married in 2018 at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
Trump recently said he has followed the team’s playoff run.
“Well, I am [still a fan of the Knicks,] and I get along with Jim Dolan,” Trump said on TalkRadio 77 in mid-May. “I think he’s a really nice guy, and he’s entitled to a good team because he’s suffered a little bit.”
Madison Square Garden already has its own reputation for intense security. Dolan has used facial recognition at the venue for years to prevent people banned from the arena from entering.
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