(AFP) – US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend game three of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday, saying he accepted an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan.
“The answer is yes,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked if he would attend. “He’s invited me, I’m going.” The Knicks will host the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the best-of-seven championship series on Monday, with game four on Wednesday, June 10. Trump was initially vague on which game he would make — not ruling out attending both. The White House confirmed his intention to be at Monday’s game in its daily guidance on the president’s schedule.
Trump’s appearance will likely mean much more heightened security in and around the Midtown Manhattan venue. The Knicks are back in the Finals for the first time since 1999 — when Trump had courtside seats — and are chasing their first title since 1973. They won game one in San Antonio on Wednesday, marking their 12th straight win of these playoffs. Their run is fueling feverish support in the Big Apple along with astonishing ticket prices for Finals games.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, speaking at a community event in San Antonio on Thursday, told reporters he was “thrilled” that the president wanted to be a part of it.
“President Trump is very much a New Yorker,” Silver said according to The Athletic. “I’m thrilled another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and joy around this Knicks team.” Silver said that before Trump ever sought public office, “he was a big Knicks fan.”
“I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days,” Silver said, adding that Trump once appeared in an “I Love this Game” NBA promotional spot. The spot, made in the 2004-05 season, featured multiple celebrities, including Trump playing on his “You’re fired” tagline from the reality show “The Apprentice.”
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