President Donald Trump made it to Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Trump, a native New Yorker, attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs in Manhattan on Monday. The president was seated for the game in a box above the first bowl at the arena with protective glass on each side of it.
But Trump’s presence inside Madison Square Garden was not necessarily a welcome one. After passing several protests on the way in, he was hit with a loud chorus of boos from fans when he was first shown on screens during the national anthem.
Trump is now officially the first sitting United States president to attend an NBA Finals game. He’s attended several notable sporting events in the past, including the college football championship earlier this year in Miami and a session at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black last fall. He revealed earlier this month that he was invited by Knicks owner James Dolan to attend.
Trump has also attended several UFC fights throughout his time in and out of office. He is planning to host UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday, too, in what would be a historic first — though a lawsuit was filed this weekend in an effort to stop it from happening.
Trump’s presence at the game, and the strong reaction from fans in the arena, comes amid what’s been a turbulent stretch for him. His approval ratings held around 35% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, which is near the lowest levels of his political career.
“I found out [he was coming] because Jim Dolan invited him to the game, and he said yes,” commissioner Adam Silver said about Trump on ESPN before the game, adding that Trump was a “genuine Knicks fan” who used to have courtside seats for the Knicks.
“He’s welcome to be here. I think that what makes sports so special, especially when there’s so much that divides people, is it’s something that we have in common, and we should look for those things that we have in common and build off that.”
Trump’s ‘inconvenient’ presence led to long delays, security changes
Of course, Trump’s presence came with increased security both in and around Madison Square Garden on Monday. There were perimeter fences set up around Madison Square Garden and long lines to get into the building even as early as Monday morning, which led to headaches for arena staffers and even players. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox said accessing the arena was like “getting screened by TSA.”
“I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” Fox said before the game. “We’ve got more, obviously more security … Obviously, we’re getting screened like it’s TSA. [It’s] a little inconvenient for the people that’s gotta play. It is what it is.”
Fans were also encouraged to show up “at least two hours” before tip, and a “strict no-bag policy” was put in place. The traditional watch party outside of Madison Square Garden was canceled as a result, too, though mayor Zohran Mamdani put together a free event nearby.
The lines outside of the arena more than three hours before tip were incredibly long.
“Yes, there’s some inconvenience to the fans here,” Silver said. “But one, looking around at the arena, it’s packed. So people listened, they came early, they got through whatever extra security, which is necessary.”
Mamdani, meanwhile, revealed earlier on Monday that he purchased a standing-room-only ticket for the game for nearly $1,000.
The Knicks entered Game 3 on Monday night with a 2-0 lead in the series after taking both of the first two contests in San Antonio. The Knicks have won 13 straight games, dating back to their opening-round series with the Atlanta Hawks. The franchise is looking for its first NBA title since 1973, and Monday’s contest was the first NBA Finals game for the team at home since 1999.
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