Footage has emerged of an animated Donald Trump appearing to complain to NBA commissioner Adam Silver during the Knicks’ loss to the Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
Trump was among the crowd in New York as the Spurs battled back in the NBA Finals with a controversial victory at MSG that cut the Knicks’ series lead to 2-1 heading into Game 4.
It was a tempestuous clash, with Victor Wembanyama playing the role of villain and Knicks star Jalen Brunson on the end of some brutal treatment.
At one point, in an incident that sparked fury among fans, Wembanyama was seen sending Brunson to the floor by shoving him on the back of the head.
Brunson was also floored in a nasty collision with Stephon Castle and after the game Knicks head coach Mike Brown slammed the officiating.
During the second quarter in New York, Brunson was lining up a free throw when someone in the crowd caught Trump and Silver deep in discussions.
Donald Trump appeared to complain to NBA commissioner Adam Silver during the Knicks’ loss
Victor Wembanyama threw Jalen Brunson to the ground off the ball at Madison Square Garden
Knicks superstar Brunson was also floored in a nasty collision with Stephon Castle (left)
Trump appeared on the jumbotron alongside granddaughter Kai (left) as the crowd erupted
From his suite at MSG, the president could be seen gesturing animatedly towards the court and shaking his head while speaking to the NBA commissioner.
Following the Knicks’ 115-111 loss, Brown complained about the fact that the Spurs shot 24 free throws in the second half compared to New York’s eight.
‘I never thought I’d see that in an NBA Finals game, and I saw it tonight,’ the New York head coach said after his team’s 13-game postseason winning streak was ended.
Trump, meanwhile, claimed he heard ‘mostly cheers’ when he appeared on the jumbotron during the performance of the national anthem at MSG.
That is despite the White House pool report noting that the President was ‘thunderously booed’ by the crowd.
‘You mean when they had the camera on me?’ he responded when asked about the loud reception on the tarmac of John F Kennedy airport.
‘I thought it was very good, yeah. It was certainly amazing. It was, I think, mostly cheers… it was loud and it was very enthusiastic.’
