Trump booed at NBA Finals in New York

New Yorkers didn’t hesitate to make their displeasure heard during Donald Trump’s attendance at one of the city’s most important sporting nights in decades. In a packed Madison Square Garden, as the national anthem played before the start of the first NBA Finals game to be staged in New York in 27 years, fans erupted in boos when the president of the United States — the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game — appeared in his box, protected by bulletproof glass, and appeared on the arena’s giant screen. The Republican offered a mocking smile as the game between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs got under way in a series the New Yorkers now lead 2-1 after the visitors’ 115-111 victory.

The first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999 took place just a day after six people were injured in a stabbing attack at Penn Station, located directly beneath the arena. Trump’s visit prompted the closure of the area around the stadium in the heart of Manhattan, which was sealed off with a high-security fence similar to those used at national political conventions or summits. The massive security deployment, coordinated by the Secret Service with state and local authorities, also included technical teams, drones, and thousands of law-enforcement officers.

The lockdown began four hours before tip-off with five blocks around the arena closed to most pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Fans who managed to get a ticket — the cheapest one on game day exceeded $4,000 — entered the restricted perimeter through five access points and were subjected to airport-style security checks. They were required to arrive at the arena at least two hours before tip-off. No bags, alcohol or selfie sticks were allowed, among other items banned for security reasons.

Monday felt, in some ways, like a homecoming for Trump, a native New Yorker. One of the last times the president was at Madison Square Garden was for his controversial rally at the arena, weeks before he won the 2024 presidential election. In the 1990s, decades before becoming president and while still a real-estate magnate, he regularly attended Knicks games. On Monday, he was invited by the owner of the New York team. He spent the game in a specially built box surrounded by bulletproof glass.

Also in attendance was New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a Uganda-born Muslim and a Democrat with progressive views. Unlike Trump, the mayor bought a standing-room ticket for the game, for which he told reporters on Monday morning he had paid around $1,000.

Before the game, Mamdani — who, surprisingly, has maintained a cordial relationship with the president since taking office in January — recalled that New Yorkers could still exercise their right to protest during Trump’s visit to Madison Square Garden despite the street closures. “The right to protest is inherent not only to the spirit of our city but also to the laws of our country, and the measures being taken today respect that right,” he said at a press conference.

Mass parties for the Knicks

Because of Trump’s visit, the legendary watch party held outside Madison Square Garden was canceled. The mass gathering had drawn thousands during the first two Finals games — which were played in San Antonio, Texas — in a massive celebration of the New York team’s victories, but the atmosphere soon got out of control. Just last Friday, more than a dozen people were arrested at the event.

Instead, three official free viewing parties were organized: in Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan; on the Wollman Rink in Central Park; and at the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Registration for the Bryant Park event, which hosted up to 5,000 people, opened at noon and filled to capacity within hours.

As the game began, the mood in Manhattan was contagious: on the subway, in stores, in the bodegas… everyone was talking about the Knicks and wearing the team’s colors — a sea of blue and orange. In Bryant Park, 22-year-old Haven Marcano, a recent college graduate and lifelong Knicks fan, said that if they win the championship it will be the happiest day of his life. Of Trump’s presence, he said he didn’t understand why he was there: “He’s an asshole. He doesn’t even like basketball. Of course I booed him when I saw him.”

The park event and the surrounding blocks were packed. Many people were left outside and had to resign themselves to watching the game on their phones from the street. That was the case for Sheryl, 37, a Knicks fan who moved from the Philippines two years ago to work as a nanny. She and her friends didn’t manage to get in, but didn’t mind — they just hoped they would be allowed into the park to celebrate with all the other fans if the Knicks won.

Joe was also left outside. He works in banking and came suited up with a public bike, hoping to find a place to watch the game, but couldn’t find any space amid the crowds. He said that if the Knicks won he would cry like a child. “And I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to work tomorrow.”

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