U.S. President Donald Trump said he will attend at least one NBA Finals game in New York next week when the native New York Knicks are playing the San Antonio Spurs in their first championship series appearance in over three decades.
Trump told reporters at the White House that he accepted an offer from Knicks owner James Dolan and intends to be at Madison Square Garden for one of the future Finals games. The president said he is considering attending Game 3 on June 8 and possibly Game 4 on June 10.
Trump said he was attending when questioned about the invitation, adding that he was a longtime fan of the Knicks and praised the team for their performance in the opening game of the series.
If the visit goes ahead it would be the first time a sitting US president has attended an NBA Finals game, league officials said. The scheduled engagement is another high-profile sports event on Trump’s agenda, following past appearances at big football, mixed martial arts and tennis events.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he would welcome the president to the championship series and said the league was ready to provide whatever protection. Trump’s presence would add to the event’s significance, Silver added, noting that athletics can be a unifying factor.
The Knicks are up 1-0 in the NBA Finals following a 105-95 victory over the Spurs in Game 1. The series has created its fair share of buzz among fans, with Madison Square Garden hosting its first NBA Finals games since 1999.
Security preparations are already underway for the president’s scheduled arrival, reports say. Details are not available but security is expected to be beefed up considering the importance of the event and the presence of the U.S. president.
Trump is a native New Yorker and has always been connected to the Knicks and New York sports culture. The team is searching for its first NBA championship since 1973, and his expected appearance.
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