Donald Trump was met with deafening jeers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night as he became the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game – a visit that triggered hours-long queues, airport-style security and streets locked down across Manhattan.
The catcalls erupted when a camera showed the president on the giant screens during the national anthem. Trump saluted, smiling, as the booing swelled through the packed arena. Chants of ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ had given way to a thunderous chorus of disapproval.
“Trump booed at NBA Finals; security delays and street closures anger fans as Knicks lose 115-111.”
After the game, which saw the New York Knicks lose 111-115 to the San Antonio Spurs, cutting their series lead to 2-1, Trump told reporters: “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
But for many ticketholders, the evening had already soured long before tip-off. Frustrated fans waited up to four hours in queues that stretched more than two blocks outside the venue. The New York Police Department and US Secret Service had set up a large perimeter, with metal barriers at each block and a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer at every checkpoint. Some supporters missed the start of the match entirely.
“I wish he wasn’t here. He’s not a real fan, and he’s just making things awful,” said Errol Ismail, a Brooklyn resident and fitness company owner. “We’ve waited a lifetime for this, and he’s made it about himself, like everything else.”
Streets around Madison Square Garden were shut to foot and vehicle traffic. Thousands of NYPD officers and hundreds of Secret Service agents were deployed. For bars showing the game, what would normally be a lucrative night turned into a desert as barriers blocked foot traffic.
The president arrived by Marine One helicopter from his New Jersey golf club, then travelled by motorcade. He was accompanied by his granddaughter Kai Trump, Knicks owner James Dolan, and members of his administration including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Celebrities such as Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet also filled courtside seats.
Even for those who made it inside, the cost was staggering. The get-in price for a ticket surged above $5,000 – higher than the average monthly rent in New York. The best seats were listed for tens of thousands of dollars. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who attended, said he bought a standing-room-only ticket for about $1,000 directly from the Garden.
Trump, born in the New York City borough of Queens, has long had a difficult relationship with his heavily Democratic hometown. He was a vocal critic of activism within the NBA, accusing the league of becoming a “political organisation” after players protested racial injustice in 2020. He faced a mixed reception of cheers and boos at the US Open tennis men’s final last year.
Outside, a community watch party planned near Madison Square Garden was cancelled due to Trump’s appearance, forcing fans to gather at Bryant Park instead. There, supporters ran through the streets celebrating every Knicks score, some climbing scaffolding.
“He’s not a real fan,” Ismail said again. The question now for New York is whether the lingering disruption will be forgotten if the Knicks – appearing in their first Finals since 1999 – can push back against the Spurs on Wednesday night.