New York politician plays ‘D’ with Trump over potential NBA visit

New York Governor Kathy Hochul tried and failed to “posterize” Trump after the president mentioned possibly attending an NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks are in the Finals for the first time since 1999, awaiting the conclusion of the Western Conference Championship series.

Trump floated the idea during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, May 27, after reporters asked about the Knicks’ playoff run. The president, a longtime New Yorker, praised the team and said he had received invitations to attend a Finals game at Madison Square Garden.

“Boy, what a team,” Trump said. “They won all their games. They have some great players. I think I’ll be going to one of the games. I was invited by numerous people,” Trump said, including Knicks owner James Dolan, who also serves as executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.

Hochul had words for Trump

Afterward, Hochul attempted to mock Trump’s Knicks fandom during a press appearance later Wednesday. The Democratic governor challenged Trump to name the starting lineup from the Knicks’ “1993 championship team” in an apparent effort to question whether the president followed the franchise closely.

But the Knicks did not win an NBA championship in 1993. The franchise last won the NBA title in 1973. New York reached the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999 but lost both series. Conservatives and sports fans mocked Hochul for flubbing basic Knicks history while trying to attack Trump over basketball knowledge.

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., joined the pile-on, mocking Hochul over the mistake and defending his father’s Knicks fandom. Trump Jr. wrote on X, “Anyone who knows my father knows he probably knows more about Sports than just about any human being not in the business. Kathy’s failed soundbite ain’t gonna land well… just like her policies.”

Hochul’s team responded, “Crazy he [Trump] has time to go [to] a basketball game but not your wedding,” referring to Trump Jr.’s recent wedding to Bettina Anderson, which the president missed. Trump Jr. shot back a crying emoji. Hochul’s communications team later responded to the 1993 gaffe, suggesting the governor was playing “4D chess.”

The exchange added another chapter to the ongoing political feud between Hochul and Trump. The two have repeatedly clashed over congestion pricing in New York City, immigration enforcement, and federal funding issues since Trump returned to the White House.

Trump’s possible appearance would mark a rare moment for a sitting president at an NBA Finals game. Presidents have attended championship events across major sports for decades, but appearances at NBA Finals games remain uncommon.

Trump has embraced high-profile sports appearances during his second term. He attended the Super Bowl earlier this year and has made appearances at UFC events, college football games, and other major sporting events.

Sports leagues once kept presidents at arm’s length, but championship games and marquee events now frequently overlap with modern political branding and media coverage.

The Knicks’ Finals run has already turned Madison Square Garden into one of the country’s top celebrity destinations. Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and several current and former athletes have attended playoff games during New York’s postseason surge.

Whether Trump ultimately attends remains unclear. The Knicks will host Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 8 and June 10 after the Western Conference Finals conclude.