The New York Knicks will become the first NBA champions to visit Donald Trump at the White House, owner James Dolan announced Wednesday, setting the stage for what could be a fraught political moment for the franchise and its players.
Dolan, a longtime friend of the president, said the team accepted a White House invitation during an appearance on WFAN radio. "We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted," he said. "We still have to figure out the details, but yes, of course. Look, I invited the president to come down for Game 3. He is a friend. I've known him for 30 years and I'm very proud to bring the team to the White House."
The announcement follows Trump's appearance at Madison Square Garden during the NBA Finals, where he was greeted with sustained boos and jeers when his image appeared on the arena's jumbotron. The reception underscored the deep political fault lines within the Knicks fanbase and New York City at large, which overwhelmingly backed Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
Player attendance remains uncertain. Forward Josh Hart, who used social media to call Trump a "dumbass" after the 2020 election, may decline to participate. Center Mitchell Robinson, a registered Republican, offered a muted response to Trump's MSG visit, calling it "cool, I guess." The diverging views suggest the team could face internal tensions over the White House trip.
The Knicks visit would mark a significant shift in NBA championship traditions under Trump's return to office. The Oklahoma City Thunder, last season's champions, skipped their White House visit due to timing constraints. The Boston Celtics were the last NBA title winners to make the trip, visiting during Joe Biden's presidency in 2024.
Championship visits to the White House have become increasingly politicized during Trump's tenure. The Golden State Warriors declined to visit after winning in 2017, with Trump later claiming he had rescinded the invitation. They received no invitation for their 2018 title. The 2019 Toronto Raptors preemptively ruled out a visit before one was even offered, and the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers cited pandemic protocols when they passed on visiting Biden's White House.
The Warriors' relationship with the White House appeared to reset under Biden, when they made the traditional visit following their 2022 championship. That team had also visited during Barack Obama's administration.
No other NBA team has visited Trump at the White House since his first term ended in 2021. The Knicks visit would be unprecedented under his current administration, placing the franchise at the center of a broader tension between professional sports and presidential politics that has defined championship visits in recent years.
Author James Rodriguez: "The Knicks are walking into a political minefield, and not every player is going to want to join them."
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