Trump becomes first sitting president to attend NBA Finals gameESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsJun 8, 2026, 08:36 PM ET
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NEW YORK — Donald Trump arrived at Madison Square Garden prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend a game in the basketball league’s championship series.
Trump’s Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying “Trump must go.”
He settled into a suite shortly afterward.
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During the afternoon before Trump’s arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year’s Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game.
They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with passing through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security.
Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump.
“There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,” Johnson mentioned.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries are also expected to be at the game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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