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President Donald Trump is expected to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 8, OutKick has confirmed through a source familiar with the plans.
The New York Post was first to report the news on Wednesday.
That means the president should be in the building for one of the biggest nights in modern Knicks history.
The Knicks crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games, setting up a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals between New York and the San Antonio Spurs. ((Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images))
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The Knicks will host an NBA Finals game for the first time in 27 years after sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. New York last reached the Finals in 1999, when it lost to the Tim Duncan-led Spurs in five games.
The team once again finds itself facing San Antonio, but this version is led by rising NBA star Victor Wembanyama, 22, the Western Conference Finals MVP.
The president previously said he was invited to attend a Finals game by several people, including Knicks owner James Dolan.
“I think I’ll go to one of the games,” Trump said last week when asked about the Knicks’ run.
Trump also said he planned to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals before New York ended the series early with a four-game sweep of Cleveland.
“I was going to go Wednesday,” Trump said. “But they wrapped it up really quickly. … Damn, what a team.”
NEW YORK KNICKS SWEEP THE RIDERS TO REACH FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999 AFTER DOMINANT GAME 4 BURST
The president, a New York native and longtime sports fan, praised the Knicks for finally breaking through after decades of frustration.
“It’s great to see,” Trump said. “The Knicks have really suffered for years.”
Knicks fans celebrate their Eastern Conference championship victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York on May 25. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Trump’s expected presence at MSG would add another layer to what is already one of the most anticipated sporting events in New York in decades. The Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973, and their return to the Finals made Madison Square Garden the center of the basketball world.
It would also continue Trump’s string of high-profile appearances at major U.S. sporting events.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has attended several major sporting events, including the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, Super Bowl LIX, the Daytona 500, UFC events and the US Open men’s final.
His presence at matches and fights often sparked strong reactions from fans and created a unique blend of sports, politics and celebrity, reminding everyone of the power of sports in America.
President Donald Trump takes the field before Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Monday’s game could have historic significance beyond the Knicks’ long-awaited return to the Finals. If Trump attends, he would be the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game.
The Knicks will host Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden on June 8 and 10, respectively. Game 6, if necessary, would also be played in New York on June 16.
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For the Knicks, the game represents a chance to bring the Finals back to “the most famous arena in the world.”
For Trump, it represents a new appearance at the intersection of sports and American culture.
And for Madison Square Garden, this is shaping up to be one of the biggest nights the building has seen in a generation.
