On Monday night, Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, and the first glimpse the television audience had of him showed the nation’s chief executive saluting the national anthem.
The president delivered on his promise to return to his native city and watch his favorite team, the New York Knicks, take on the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. And as the cameras caught the president in his suite during the anthem, he saluted.
The president attended the game at the invitation of Knicks Owner James Dolan, and he was accompanied by an entourage that included EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
While Trump has made the game historic by being the first U.S. president to attend the Finals, it’s historic for the Knicks as well. It’s the first time New York has hosted a Finals game in 27 years, and, with a 2-0 lead, it represents arguably their best chance to win a championship since the last time they hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 1973.
Trump signaled his intent to attend in late May when he told reporters of his invitation from Dolan and how much he enjoyed the Knicks’ playoff run.
“I was going to go [to Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals], but they closed it out very quickly. They’re great, and Jim Dolan’s a great guy — he’s, as you know, owns and in charge of Madison Square Garden. He’s having a good year,” Trump said.
“Boy, what a team! They win all their games,” he said of the Knicks. “They really have some great players.”
Trump added, “The Knicks have really, they’ve really suffered for years and they’re doing right now very well.”
The president’s reception during the anthem wasn’t entirely warm. However, that could also be due to the extensive security procedures fans underwent before entering the Garden. Nonetheless, the president and the crowd are unified in at least one thing: rooting for a Knicks win.