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The New York Knicks are NBA champions and the question is: Do they go to the White House? to celebrate the title with Donald Trump?
Trump is known to be good friends with Knicks owner James Dolan, who invited the president to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Trump accepted – causing logistical chaos around the arena. When he appeared on screen during the national anthem, in Dolan’s box, surrounded by several Cabinet members, New Yorkers loudly booed him. The Knicks lost the game.
Dolan said in a radio appearance on Wednesday that Trump had invited the team to the White House and the team had accepted. However, it is still unclear when the visit will take place and whether the entire team will be there.
Hart and the old posts
Some Knicks players have not minced words in the past about their dislike of the president. Starting guard Josh Hart repeatedly called him a “dumbass” in now-deleted social media posts. On the day of the 2020 election, Hart wrote, “YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBA** OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!”
The six-year-old post resurfaced after Dolan invited Trump to Game 3. Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns responded to the announcement that Trump would appear with a subtle dig at the security measures — including canceled watch parties outside MSG — that were hitting the city. “The fans have earned the right to watch Finals basketball here at Madison Square Garden,” he said at a pregame news conference when asked about the disruptions.
Not all champions wanted to share their triumph with the controversial president – and Trump, for his part, was not always generous with invitations. The New York Liberty, WNBA champions in 2025, did not receive an invitation to the White House. The gold medal-winning U.S. women’s ice hockey team only got one after public pressure – and ultimately declined. In 2018, Trump withdrew his invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles after several players from the championship team publicly stated that they did not want to come.
NBA and Trump: a long ice age
It is hardly surprising that NBA teams are giving the president the cold shoulder. Trump has repeatedly attacked the league as too liberal and too lenient toward players’ political activism — particularly when it comes to movements like Black Lives Matter — and has publicly targeted superstars like Steph Curry and LeBron James. The Golden State Warriors championship teams of 2017 and 2018 did not visit Trump; In 2017, he angrily withdrew his invitation when it became known that Curry – an avowed Democrat – was considering staying away from the scheduled meeting. The Toronto Raptors did not come to the White House after winning the 2019 title, nor did the Los Angeles Lakers after winning the 2020 championship. The Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA champions in 2025, also refused to celebrate with Trump.
YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBASS OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) November 7, 2020
The Knicks are now on the verge of breaking that streak – assuming Dolan gets his way. The Dolan, who is known for his pronounced control mania, his mistrust and his vindictiveness, and who is said to have once even imposed ten weeks of sexual abstinence on his players.