NEW YORK -- Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals when the New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the championship series at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Trump arrived before tipoff and mingled with Knicks owner James Dolan, several members of his cabinet, and his granddaughter Kai Trump in a box suite. The suite, which was located at the back of the arena's lower bowl, was surrounded by protective glass, one of several additional security measures enacted to facilitate his appearance.
Trump, dressed in a dark suit and a red tie, stood and saluted the flag during the national anthem, drawing boos when he was shown briefly on Madison Square Garden's jumbotron. He brushed off the reception after the game.
"It was, I think, mostly cheers," he told reporters after the game before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. "It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic."
Trump stayed until the buzzer as the game went down to the wire, with the Spurs ultimately prevailing 115-111.
Though Trump and high-profile basketball stars such as LeBron James have exchanged social media barbs over the years, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the president was a "genuine Knicks fan" who was "welcome" at the most-anticipated NBA game in New York since the Knicks' last Finals appearance in 1999.
"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" during a pregame interview. "We should look for those things we have in common and build off that."
Marine One flew from Trump's home in New Jersey to near Wall Street. After landing, the presidential motorcade arrived at MSG nearly an hour before the game started. Trump encountered some people making rude gestures and one group with signs that said "Trump must go."
Fans, media members and stadium employees were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, and they were instructed to pass through a magnetometer upon arrival. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner outside the arena in large numbers.
Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox said Monday that Trump's presence made it "inconvenient on everybody else," noting that his team planned to arrive earlier than usual to clear security.
"Yes, there's some inconvenience to the fans, but looking around at the arena, it's packed," Silver said. "People listened, they came early, they got through the extra security, which is necessary. I think we should use sports to create more of a sense of community."
Knicks coach Mike Brown said that he stayed at a downtown hotel before Game 3 because his team was practicing at Madison Square Garden rather than at its Westchester County facility during the Finals. Otherwise, Brown said his typical game-day preparations were not impacted by Trump.
"My focus is just what's next and what's in front of me, and Game 3 is front of us right now," he said. "I feel our group is that way, too."
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson also downplayed the notion that Trump's presence was a distraction.
"I have not felt any inconvenience," Johnson said. "There's a lot going on, and I'd much rather be a part of it than not."
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Yankees legend Derek Jeter, former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, director Spike Lee, and actors Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Tina Fey were among the other notable attendees at Game 3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
