Trump booed at Madison Square Garden, Silver: “He’s welcome here”
Amid boos and heightened security measures, President Donald Trump responded to the crowd’s reaction while Adam Silver sought to cool down the controversy
The Madison Square Garden experienced its most heavily secured, chaotic, and historic night in the last three decades. Donald Trump became the first sitting President of the United States to attend an NBA Finals game, showing up at the Garden for Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
Arriving well before tipoff, Trump watched the game from a luxury suite protected by bulletproof glass, alongside Knicks owner James Dolan, members of his cabinet, and his granddaughter Kai. The result on the floor, however, spoiled New York’s plans: the Spurs escaped with a 115-111 victory, officially breathing new life into the series.
The reception in his hometown of New York was, predictably, mixed. When the President, dressed in a dark suit and red tie, appeared on the Garden’s video board during the national anthem, the arena split between cheers and loud boos. Before boarding Air Force One, Trump brushed off the reaction with his trademark confidence:
I think it was mostly cheers. There was a lot of noise, and it was all very enthusiastic
Donald Trump
Despite his well-documented public clashes over the years with several NBA superstars – LeBron James chief among them – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poured cold water on the controversy, defending the President’s presence at the city’s biggest basketball event since 1999:
What makes sports special is that they bring people together at a time when so much divides them. Trump is a genuine Knicks fan, and he’s welcome here
Adam Silver
The arrival of the presidential motorcade transformed the area around Penn Station into a virtual fortress, with snipers, Secret Service agents stationed at every corner, and intense security screenings that frustrated more than a few people involved with the event. Among them was Spurs star De’Aaron Fox, who voiced his displeasure with the logistics:
His presence created inconvenience for everyone. We had to get to the arena hours early just to get through security
De’Aaron Fox
The disruptions were downplayed by both head coaches. Mike Brown avoided the issue altogether by staying at a downtown hotel to bypass traffic, while Spurs coach Mitch Johnson preferred to enjoy the moment:
The atmosphere is incredible, and I’d much rather be in here than out there
Mitch Johnson
In the end, between protests outside the Garden and metal detectors at every entrance, the game delivered the spectacle everyone expected, drawing the usual front-row lineup of celebrities and public figures: from Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Yankees legend Derek Jeter to Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, and Ben Stiller. New York rediscovered the feeling of the NBA Finals, even if Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs managed to cool the excitement surrounding the White House’s special guest.