President Donald Trump is set to attend the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals next month in New York City.
ESPN reported on Thursday that President Trump has accepted an invitation from New York Knicks owner James Dolan to watch the 2025-26 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York.
This marks the first time a sitting U.S. president will attend an NBA Finals game in person. President Trump has previously attended other major sporting events, including the National Football League (NFL) Super Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Initially, President Trump had planned to attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals playoff between New York and the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was scheduled for Thursday.
However, this plan was scrapped after New York swept Cleveland in four straight games, securing their first Finals appearance in 27 years.
In the 2025-26 NBA Finals, New York will face the winner of the series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs. The defending champion Oklahoma City currently holds a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals against San Antonio.
The NBA Finals are set to tip off on June 4, with Games 1 and 2 to be played at either Oklahoma City’s or San Antonio’s home arena. Madison Square Garden will host Games 3 and 4 on June 9 and 11, respectively.
