In this mix of sports and politics, the NBA and the White House have attracted and respected each other for years. In 1963, John F. Kennedy started the ritual of inviting a championship team to the White House by inviting the Boston Celtics. Then, in 2009, Barack Obama attended an NBA game, becoming the first sitting U.S. President to do so. Now, with the NBA Finals just around the corner, many believe that Donald Trump might be in the audience.

This conversation started right after the New York Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. They are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in almost three decades. Thus, the curiosity that President Trump spread across the nation brings us to an obvious question: Is he a Knicks fan?

Was Trump actually a Knicks fan before he became president? What does the evidence show?

New Yorkers usually never choose a different NBA team to support other than the Knicks. Therefore, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that Donald Trump has most likely been a fan of the Orange and Blue all his life. Therefore, reports say that the 79-year-old had kept a close watch on the team throughout the postseason so far. Now, before turning into a politician, Trump often sat courtside at Madison Square Garden.

As a celebrity figure, he always seemed to maintain ties with Knicks culture. However, after entering politics, people became unsure about how genuine or active his Knicks fandom really was. Interestingly enough, he might not even know several players in the Knicks’ current starting lineup anymore, despite his visible past association with the team. What’s more intriguing is that Trump has been a regular at MSG since the 80s and 90s. In fact, he was in the arena in 2014, and that might’ve been the last time people saw him there.

Here are five accounts of Donald Trump’s possible Knicks fan era:

1. On March 5, 1991, Donald Trump attended a New York Knicks game against the Phoenix Suns with his second wife, Marla Maples. They sat courtside alongside actor Elliott Gould at Madison Square Garden. Amidst the star-studded atmosphere, the Knicks fell short and lost the game 107-102 to the Suns.
2. During an interview with sportswriter Ira Berkow, Trump spoke about his interest in basketball. He also mentioned attending Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and the Bulls. “All the guys who make it to the NBA have something special, no doubt about it. They’ve gone from level to level, and they’ve reached this pinnacle,” Trump said back then. “And then there’s one level more, the level of being a true winner or not. There was that famous triple pump-shot in the playoff game for the Knicks that didn’t go in.”
3. In Game 3 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Knicks and the Houston Rockets, Trump and Marla Maples unexpectedly interrupted a live television segment while attending the game. New York lost 93-89, while Houston eventually won the NBA championship that season.
4. On January 11, 2006, Trump attended a New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks while sitting beside businessman Jeffrey Lorberbaum. The game turned memorable after the Knicks staged a dramatic comeback, winning 117-115 against the Mavs.
5. In 2014, Trump attended a Knicks game with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. The matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers appears to be the latest Knicks game Trump attended publicly. Sadly, New York narrowly lost the match 90-87 to LeBron James and Co.

Is Donald Trump attending the NBA Finals, and who invited him to Madison Square Garden?

On Wednesday, Donald Trump revealed plans to attend the NBA Finals. He seems interested in attending his hometown team’s big event against the OKC Thunder or Spurs, whoever makes it through in the Western Conference Finals. Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting that several people, including James Dolan, had invited him to attend one of the games.

“Jim Dolan’s a great guy,” the President said. “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.”

No sitting U.S. president has ever attended an NBA Finals game, although Barack Obama was present during the 2019 Finals in Trump’s first presidential term. Meanwhile, the NBA did not immediately comment on the matter after receiving a request. At the same time, an MSG spokesperson said that they “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.”

Who is James Dolan, and why is his friendship with Trump so significant?

James Dolan, a synonymous name in the NBA, runs MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment. These are the companies behind the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. Meanwhile, his friendship with Donald Trump has drawn attention over the years. That is because it links the politically progressive NBA world with conservative American politics.

Dolan has financially supported Trump’s campaigns in the past. Reports also say that Dolan held his 2018 wedding at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Their relationship became even more noticeable during the Knicks’ postseason run this time. In fact, Trump publicly praised Dolan and revealed that the MSG owner invited him to attend a Finals game.

In a league where many players and fans have openly criticized Trump over the years, his close bond with Dolan still feels unusual. “Well, I am [still a fan of the Knicks], and I get along with Jim Dolan,” Donald Trump shared 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.”

How has Trump’s relationship with the NBA changed over the years?

Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, Trump was a familiar face at New York Knicks games, often showing up courtside at Madison Square Garden as part of New York’s celebrity scene. That relationship changed drastically during his first presidency, from 2017 to 2021.

As NBA players grew more outspoken on social justice issues, Trump found himself in public back-and-forth with stars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Things really escalated after the Golden State Warriors decided not to visit the White House following their 2017 championship win.

In 2020, after playoff boycotts protesting police brutality, Trump criticized the NBA. “I don’t know much about the NBA protest. I know their ratings have been very bad because I think people are a little tired of the NBA,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve become like a political organization, and that’s not a good thing.”

In fact, the Oklahoma City Thunder also declined their White House visit earlier this year. They pointed out “timing issues.”

Well, now, whether Trump will make a comeback at MSG this NBA Finals remains a mystery. For now, New York is still in celebration mode with the 2026 title in sight.