Leave it up to the Knicks to bring all New Yorkers together, including the President of the United States.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, told reporters that Knicks owner James Dolan personally invited him to attend the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, as our very own Knicks prepare to face off against either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the San Antonio Spurs—depending on who comes out of the Western Conference, which we’ll find out either tonight or in a Game 7 this Saturday.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Trump, who was born in Queens and built much of his real estate empire in Manhattan before relocating to Palm Beach, Florida in 2019. MSG, of course, has its own place in his story: the arena served as the site of a marquee campaign rally just days before the 2024 presidential election.
Trump didn’t specify which game he’ll be attending, but the first Finals game at MSG will be Game 3 on June 8, followed by Game 4 on June 10 and—fingers crossed we won’t need this to secure the championship title—a potential Game 6 on June 16, which also happens to fall on the same day as a World Cup match at MetLife Stadium. If that scenario plays out, New Yorkers should probably just stay home and watch both on the couch, because the city is going to be an absolute mess. Authorities are already planning to move more than 78,000 World Cup spectators per match using a coordinated network of shuttle buses, rail service and rideshare—and that’s before you factor in a Knicks Finals crowd pouring out of midtown. FIFA has eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium entirely for the tournament, making public transit and ride-sharing the primary transportation options for fans. The MTA has said it will have expanded capacity on the trains and Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $20 shuttle buses to the stadium, with a portion of seats reserved for New Yorkers. But honestly, we expect chaos to ensue regardless.
During a cabinet meeting earlier this week, Trump revealed that he had planned to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals this past Wednesday night if the series had extended, but the game never ended up happening after the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in four rounds.
Trump was sure to note as much, in true Trump fashion: “They closed it out very quickly,” said the President. “Boy, what a team. They win all their games. They really—they have some great players.” Mr. President, we cannot agree with you more. See you in New York?
