US President Donald Trump was loudly booed by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he appeared on the arena’s video screens during the national anthem ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Tuesday morning (AEST).
Trump was shown saluting as the cameras cut to him for several seconds. The boos stopped only when the US flag replaced his image on the screens, and cheers erupted when New York Knicks players were shown. Mentions of the San Antonio Spurs also drew heavy boos from the home crowd.
The president watched the game from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, accompanied by his granddaughter Kai Trump, adviser Boris Epshteyn, and cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, and Doug Burgum. Trump is the first sitting US president ever to attend an NBA Finals game.
Marine One flew Trump from his New Jersey residence to a landing zone near Wall Street, after which his motorcade travelled through Manhattan to the arena. Along the route, he encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, while a small group outside MSG held signs reading “Trump must go.”
Security around the venue was extensive. Hours before tip‑off, the NYPD and US Secret Service established a large perimeter around the arena. Fans began lining up more than four hours before the game, creating a scene more reminiscent of New Year’s Eve in Times Square than a typical basketball crowd.
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