Trump says he’ll attend NBA finals to watch the Knicks, but could face something familiar: Boos and protests
TheGrio...
“I think Trump sees this as both an opportunity to do be first and attach his name and likeness to something that is universally popular,” says Cameron Trimble, founder and CEO of Hip-Politics and the former Biden White House official.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he plans to return to his hometown, New York City, to attend the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks play in their first championship game since 1999.
“I think I’ll be going to one of the games. Yeah, I was invited by numerous people, and [Knicks/MSG owner] Jim [Dolan],” Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House. “The Knicks have…really suffered for years, and they’re doing right now very well.”
The president said he originally planned to attend the NBA semi-finals between the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers; however, the New York team ultimately swept the contest to advance to the finals, 4-0.
If Trump does attend, he would become the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA finals game.
“Trump always wants to be the first to do things,” says Cameron Trimble, founder and CEO of Hip-Politics and the former White House Director of Digital Engagement under President Joe Biden. He tells theGrio, “It’s kind of ironic that Trump would be the first to be at an NBA finals, given the popularity of NBA finals in years past, and the popularity of [past presidents] in culture, from a Bill Clinton to Barack Obama to even George W. Bush, who was probably one of the most connected people to sports, having previously owned the Texas Rangers.”
But given Trump’s unpopularity in New York, where the Queens native was criminally convicted, clashed with elected officials, and saw his Trump Hotel vandalized on numerous occasions, Trump is likely to be met with something familiar whenever he visits the Big Apple or attends a sporting event: boos and protests.
“I think he’ll be met with resounding boos,” says Trimble.
Throughout his first and second terms, Trump has been met with boos at major sporting events numerous times. In November 2025, the president was booed at an NFL game between the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions. Two months earlier, Trump was booed at the U.S. Open men’s singles championship match in New York City. During his first term, President Trump was booed while attending the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros.
Trimble tells theGrio that he believes Trump’s plan to attend the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden is less about spectating and more about politics.
“He understands his approval ratings is low,” said the former Biden official, who pointed to the unpoplar U.S. war in Iran that is driving up gas prices and the rising cost of living, and the controversy of over the Epstein files “cover up.”
Facing political headwinds, Trimble said Trump likely sees attending one of the largest American sporting events in a city he once had “deep ties” to, and to cheer on a team that hasn’t won an NBA championship in more than 50 years, as an opportunity to inject himself into “cultural significance.”
“I think Trump sees this as both an opportunity to do be first and attach his name and likeness to something that is universally popular,” he argued.
Trimble says he’s interested to see to what degree Trump will be met with protests, either from fans or athletes.
“Given the majority of the NBA is African American, you don’t have as many people…on other [sports] teams who have been as vocal politically. This is a time for them to maybe make some public demonstration on the highest stage,” Trimble told theGrio. He continued, “The NBA Players Association has an opportunity to help and guide the players in what this moment could potentially mean, given everything that is going on with their country, their fans.”
Trimble added, “Trump knows how to pick the right argument to distract us, and the NBA, more than any other professional sports league, has had the most players…[and] the culture of standing up for Black issues and standing up for minority issues.”
It wouldn’t be the first time that Trump has been met with protests or perceived protests from NBA players, some of whom have been highly critical of Trump, including LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. Every team that has won the NBA championship during Trump’s first term declined to attend the White House for a celebratory ceremony, a tradition dating back to 1963 when President John F. Kennedy welcomed the Boston Celtics.
Last year’s NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, like past years, declined to attend the White House citing a scheduling conflict.
But even if Trump is met with public ridicule from NBA players, Trimble says the president, never shy to take on a political sparring, would likely welcome it.
“He understands that if he can bait or potentially get one of them in a discussion or other folks in a discussion around any number one of the things that he’s doing that people are against, I think he welcomes that kind of fight,” said Trimble.
He added, “By putting himself main stage, it gives him something to attack, it gives him something to put into the headlines in the media to distract again.”