Donald Trump received a not-so-warm welcome at Madison Square Garden during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. As the President appeared in front of his hometown crowd, he was met with a sea of boos from thousands of basketball fans.
As Broadway star Avery Wilson sang the National Anthem, the camera faded to a shot of Trump saluting the flag, and MSG erupted into boos. Feint claps for the President could be heard on the ABC broadcast, but they were overwhelmed by the Bronx cheer.
The New York Knicks, led by star point guard Jalen Brunson, look to extend their lead to 3-0 against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night and effectively put the championship series to bed (In the history of the NBA Finals, no team has ever surmounted a 3-0 comeback).
Game 1 saw the Knicks take a decisive victory over the Spurs, 105-95. Game 2 came down to the wire with the score tied at 104 with 10 seconds to go. After a critical turnover and foul by Spurs superstar center Victor Wembanyama, Brunson went to the line and pushed the Knicks to a one-point lead. The Spurs were unable to convert on the other end, falling 0-2 in the series.
This isn’t the first time Trump showed face at a major sports event and was rejected with a chorus of boos. When the President returned to Queens, the New York City borough where he grew up, for the U.S. Open men’s final in late 2025, the audience could be heard booing him on the ABC telecast. The AP reported at the time that Trump, upon hearing the crowd’s reaction, “offered a smirk,” which “briefly made the boos louder.”