Knicks set to come face to face with Trump after president was ‘thunderously booed’ at NBA Finals game
New York Knicks owner James Dolan has confirmed that the NBA champions will accept an invitation to celebrate their historic title victory at the White House.
In doing so, the Knicks will become the first NBA championship squad to visit the White House during the Trump administration.
Dolan broke the news on WFAN New York on Wednesday, revealing that the formal invitation from the nation’s capital had arrived and was accepted by the front office.
‘As a matter of fact, thank you for asking me that, we just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,’ Dolan announced during his radio segment. ‘We still have to figure out the details, but yes, of course.’
The decision to attend carries plenty of significance for Dolan, who has maintained a long friendship with the president and invited the commander-in-chief into his private suite for Game 3 of the NBA Finals last week.
‘I invited the President to come down for the game,’ Dolan added. ‘He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.’
Knicks owner James Dolan has confirmed that the NBA champions will accept an invitation to celebrate their historic title victory at the White House
The Knicks will become the first NBA championship squad to visit the White House during the Trump administration
The president has previously reciprocated that admiration publicly, praising Dolan’s competitive drive and the remarkable resilience of the roster during a press conference earlier in the month.
‘I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time, and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan,’ the president noted. ‘He’s a nice guy. He spent a long time wanting to win… He’s got a team that’s amazing.’
The team’s dominant postseason run culminated in a decisive five-game series victory over the San Antonio Spurs, sparking massive, city-wide celebrations that brought millions of fans into the streets.
The lone blemish on the Knicks’ otherwise flawless Finals record came during an intense Game 3 showdown, a matchup that the president watched firsthand alongside Dolan from the executive suite.
During his visit, the president was booed by thousands of Knicks fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on the big screens during the national anthem.
While previous championship teams across various professional sports leagues have occasionally bypassed the traditional Washington capital visit due to scheduling conflicts, the Knicks are seemingly committed to the event.
The update comes just days after Dolan granted a rare television interview to local station Fox 5 New York where he dished about the team’s success, his likelihood for selling the team, and whether or not his venue would host Taylor Swift’s wedding.
Speaking on ‘Good Day New York’ on Wednesday, the day before a ticker-tape parade goes through Lower Manhattan, Dolan revealed that he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in a while.
‘I finally got a few hours last night, but it’s been long,’ the owner said.
During his visit, the president was booed by thousands of Knicks fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on the big screens during the national anthem
Dolan, hosted he Trump in his private suite for Game 3 of the NBA Finals last week
Dolan also expressed some surprise at how much the Knicks victory has brought the city together since the win on Saturday.
‘I knew there was a lot of pent up frustration, but we’re obviously really happy about how people have all come together, the whole city’s turned orange,’ the owner commented.
‘It’s great, it’s great for the city, it’s great to see people come together on something.’
As for why people embraced these Knicks, Dolan believes, ‘I think that it was the team itself.
‘The guys, they’re all lovely people, good character people, and I think that people felt that throughout the season but particularly in the playoffs and Jalen [Brunson] leading them. They’re very, very likeable.’
