Fans who have paid tens of thousands to watch the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals faced the very real prospect of missing the start of the game due to the extensive security measures in place to accommodate President Trump.
Thousands of fans were stuck outside of Madison Square Garden ahead of the President’s arrival. Some fans even claimed they were told by police that they were unsure of the protocols that should be enforced surrounding Trump’s attendance.
Lines to get in were said to start at least four blocks away from MSG, while metal detectors were set up 200 feet away from the venue that every fan would have to pass through with the Secret Service watching on.
The New York Police Department and Secret Service established a multiblock security perimeter around the arena and, controversially, canceled the hugely popular watch parties outside of the venue. The NYPD even shut down every sidewalk and street from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue in a move that will halt all pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Ticket holders have also been stopped from bringing bags inside. As those fans waited nervously to make it inside, Trump’s helicopter landed near Wall Street with the Beast on hand to drive him up to iconic Manhattan venue. And as his car approached MSG, Trump waved to the fans who had been forced to wait longer than they ever imagined to enter the building.
The Knicks lead the series against the San Antonio Spurs 2-0, igniting wild excitement across the city of New York ahead of Game 3. Fans across the city are desperate to see the team clinch their first championship this century and end a wait of over 50 years for glory.
New York Knicks fans lined up around Madison Square Garden before the NBA Finals
Fans lucky enough to have a ticket suddenly faced the prospect of missing the start
President Trump pictured in the Beast as he made his way towards Madison Square Garden
As chaos emerged around MSG, Trump’s helicopter touched down near Wall Street
The Knicks last made the NBA Finals in 1999 and have not won one since 1973.
But with history beckoning, Trump’s decision to attend has now seemingly turn the excitement into anxiety for those lucky enough to have gotten their hands on the hottest ticket in town.
Trump has attended multiple high-profile sporting events in his second term in office.
He became the first sitting President to attend a Super Bowl when he made it to the showpiece game in February 2025 in New Orleans, watching the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fans faced similar issues to the Knicks followers when he attended the men’s US Open final last year, too. Trump has also appeared at the Ryder Cup, a New York Yankees game on the anniversary of 9/11 and other NFL games.
The Knicks ticket prices rocketed in price after the Knicks stormed into a 2-0 lead from the first two games in San Antonio – fans were splahing out over $10,000 for the cheapest seats in the world famous venue.
Trump will be one of many famous faces inside the venue for Game 3. Knicks superfans and Hollywood stars Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller are expected to be sitting courtside.
The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, has said he will be there too.
The calm before the storm inside MSG as fans desperately waited to make it inside
Trump’s attendance was slammed on Monday by ESPN’s increasingly political analyst Stephen A. Smith, who called him ‘narcissistic’ for his move.
‘This president has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious. It is selfish, it is narcissistic, it is ridiculous that he is coming to this game,’ Smith said on First Take.
‘I would say the same thing if it were Obama, George W., Clinton. I don’t give a damn, we went back to Reagan.
‘This is not a football stadium in some space in Texas where you got a whole bunch of outlays and all of this. This is the Garden. This is Midtown Manhattan. You have any idea what the congestion is going to be like in New York City here?
‘I get off my radio show at 3 o’clock. I’ve been instructed that I got to go straight to the Garden for an 8:30 game. Because that’s how bad traffic is going to be.’
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