play Live Sign upShow navigation menuplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upEXPLAINERNews|BasketballTrump booed ‘thunderously’ at NBA Finals: What we knowUS President Donald Trump was booed during his appearance at the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoToggle PlayNew York City crowd boos US President Donald Trump at NBA playoff game
United States President Donald Trump met with “thunderous” booing from fellow New York Knicks fans when he attended the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Monday, despite being the first sitting president ever to attend.
Security was heightened for his visit, with authorities barring fans without tickets from coming within several blocks of the venue.
Fans jeered the president, who was watching the game against the San Antonio Spurs from an executive suite when he appeared onscreen inside the arena during the singing of the national anthem.
Seen on the Jumbotron – a giant screen – saluting the US flag during the national anthem, Trump received a chorus of boos but played down the reception after the game – a 115-111 Spurs win that cut the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1.
The Athletic reported that Trump, 79, a native New Yorker, drew louder boos than the rivals, the Spurs.
White House pool reporters said the president had been booed “thunderously”.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was very welcome to attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999, when the Knicks lost to the Spurs, adding that the president is a “genuine Knicks fan”.
“What makes sports so special, especially when there’s so much that divides people, is that it’s something we have in common,” Silver told ESPN’s Inside the NBA before Game 3. “We should look for those things we have in common and build off that.”
ESPN reported, however, that fans made rude gestures towards Trump as his motorcade arrived at the venue, while others held up signs reading “Trump must go”.
Trump, a longtime Knicks fan, last visited Madison Square Garden in November 2024 to watch an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout following his election victory. He earlier held a campaign rally at the venue.
Multiple checkpoints were set up for fans, the media and stadium workers to show their ticket or pass to gain entry. Police and Secret Service personnel covered every corner outside the arena.
Officials urged ticket holders to arrive at least two hours before the 8:30pm (00:30 GMT, Tuesday) tip-off to clear airport-style security screening. Bags were not permitted inside.
“Yes, there’s some inconvenience to the fans, but looking around at the arena, it’s packed,” Silver said at the game. “People listened, they came early, they got through the extra security, which is necessary.”
The Secret Service deployed counter-drone technology as part of its operation to protect the US leader, who has faced three alleged assassination attempts in less than two years.
“The Secret Service’s focus is straightforward: to ensure everyone attending the game can enjoy the game and have a safe experience, while we carry out our responsibility to protect the President of the United States,” Special Agent Matt McCool told reporters.
Meanwhile, police played down broader security concerns following a stabbing late on Sunday, which wounded six people at Penn Station, which sits beneath the venue. US media described the male suspect as emotionally disturbed with no terror links.
Invited to attend Game 3 by Knicks owner James Dolan, Trump sat in a suite near midcourt, halfway up the seating area, in a specially constructed box with bulletproof glass. The box was one of several security measures taken with Trump in attendance.
“The message is simple: celebrate the Knicks, but avoid the MSG area tonight if you do not have tickets for the game,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told a news conference, referring to Madison Square Garden.
Before the game, AFP journalists reported seeing a 10-foot (3-metre) fence around parts of Madison Square Garden and a large presence of Secret Service personnel charged with protecting the US president.
The agents, some heavily armed, were accompanied by hundreds of police officers as crowds gathered on streets near the venue and at public viewing areas elsewhere in the city.
Besides heightened security measures, watch parties outside the Manhattan venue were banned – a break from the first two playoff games between the Knicks and the Spurs, which drew jubilant crowds.
Both teams’ coaches played down any suggestion that Trump’s presence was a distraction to the teams before Game 3.
“My focus is just what’s next and what’s in front of me, and Game 3 is [in] front of us right now,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “I feel our group is that way, too.”
Some New Yorkers and Democratic lawmakers criticised Trump for the inconvenience to fans attending the game.
“During one of the best moments NYC has enjoyed in decades, [Trump] makes it all about himself. Trump should LEAVE US ALONE! He’s not wanted here,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X.
As Trump’s convoy travelled through the city to Madison Square Garden, some protesters on the streets held signs saying “Trump must go”. At least two people raised their middle fingers towards the vehicles.
“I think it sucks. I think it really put a damper on all the watch parties. But it’s pretty cool he wants to show up and be a part of it,” he said.
Ticket prices for Monday’s game were out of reach for most New Yorkers, but the self-proclaimed “World’s Most Famous Arena” was still packed to the rafters, with celebrity fans courtside.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended Game 3. He told the media he bought his own standing-room-only ticket, spending nearly $1,000.
