EmailPrintPresident Donald Trump said Thursday that he has accepted an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan to attend an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden next week."The answer is yes," Trump said. "[Dolan] has invited me and I'm going. I'll be there. It could be Monday. Maybe I'll do both [Game 3 and Game 4]."The Knicks, who are playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, hold a 1-0 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs before Friday's Game 2 in San Antonio. New York's 14-point comeback victory in Game 1 on Wednesday marked its 12th consecutive win of this postseason."[The Knicks] find a way to do it," Trump said. "They're really great, a great team. I'm happy for Jim [Dolan] because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team."Trump added that he watched the Knicks' Game 1 victory and was impressed by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama."[Wembanyama] is a great player," he said. "He's going to be a great player. He's already a great player. I said, 'How do you guard this guy?' He's 7-foot-5 and has a great shot."NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that Trump would be "welcome" to attend Monday's Game 3, which has fueled record ticket prices and extraordinary interest in New York City as the Knicks seek their first championship since 1973."President Trump is very much a New Yorker," Silver said. "I'm thrilled another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knicks team."Silver noted that Trump's appearance will be the first by a sitting president at an NBA Finals game during his tenure as commissioner, which began in 2014. While speaking at a community relationship event in San Antonio, Silver described Trump as a longtime Knicks fan who attended multiple NBA drafts when they were held at Madison Square Garden and once appeared in an "I love this game" commercial produced by NBA Entertainment."Sports, in particular, is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart," Silver said. "It creates a sense of belonging."The NBA will utilize additional layers of security to accommodate President Trump's attendance."There should be extra security for the President United States to be at a game, but I think the fans are very understanding of that," Silver said. "I think they recognize that it adds to the bigness of the event."
