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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 confirmed through a source familiar with the plans.
The New York Post was first to report the news Wednesday.
That means the president is expected to be in the building for one of the biggest nights in modern Knicks history.
The Knicks steamrolled 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 again finds itself up against San Antonio, but this version is led by rising NBA star Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old Western Conference Finals MVP.
The president previously said he had been invited to attend a Finals game by several people, including Knicks owner James Dolan.
“I think I’ll be going to one of the games,” Trump said last week when asked about the Knicks’ run.
Trump also said he had 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 on Wednesday,” Trump said. “But they closed it out very quickly. … Boy, what a team.”
NEW YORK KNICKS SWEEP CAVALIERS TO REACH FIRST NBA FINALS SINCE 1999 AFTER DOMINANT GAME 4 BLOWOUT
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 winning the Eastern Conference championship against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York City on May 25. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Trump’s expected appearance at MSG would add another layer to what is already one of the most anticipated sporting events in New York in decades. The Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973, and their return to the Finals has turned Madison Square Garden into the center of the basketball world.
It would also continue Trump’s run of high-profile appearances at major American sporting events.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has attended several major sports showcases, including the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship, Super Bowl LIX, the Daytona 500, UFC events and the U.S. Open men’s final.
His presence at games and fights has frequently drawn loud 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 walks onto the field before Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Monday’s game could carry 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 June 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 World’s Most Famous Arena.”
For Trump, it represents another appearance at the intersection of sports and American culture.
And for Madison Square Garden, it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest nights the building has seen in a generation.