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New York Knicks owner James Dolan may have gotten ahead of himself when he said his championship-winning team would be destined for the White House.
Days after winning the team’s first title in 53 years, Dolan announced that the team “receives[d] an invitation from the White House, which we accepted.
“I still have to work out the details, but yes, of course, I invited the president to come to the game, right? He’s a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House,” Dolan said at the time.
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Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks lifts the Bill Russell trophy for the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Well, Jalen Brunson is holding the horses.
“That’s something we haven’t really discussed as a team,” Brunson told Variety in a recent interview. “And so, obviously, people are making assumptions and saying everything, but together we haven’t discussed it yet. So we’ll cross our bridge when we get to it.”
The Knicks would be the first NBA team to visit Trump in either of his terms, a note Brunson found “interesting.”
President Donald Trump attended the Knicks’ Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. It turned out to be the only loss for the Knicks, who won the NBA Finals in five games.
President Donald Trump attends Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. (Getty Images)
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Trump criticized the NBA for being “highly political” in 2020. NBA players were given the option to wear social justice messages on their jerseys and numerous players knelt for the national anthem. During his trip to the Finals, Trump said basketball was “a little left-wing” but “great entertainment.”
Knicks star Josh Hart has criticized Trump in the past.
Dolan and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had a war of words during the finals over watch parties. Dolan then appeared to take a shot at Mamdani during the team’s victory celebration at City Hall and did his best to toughen him up in a photo op.
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The Dolan-Mamdani beef is not new. The dispute began during the election cycle when Mamdani used the Knicks logo for his campaign and the team issued a cease and desist letter. The White House then used the Knicks logo in a post shortly after last year’s election to say, “Trump is your president.” The Knicks approached the White House, which then eliminated the position.
President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on June 8, 2026 in New York City. Trump was joined by his granddaughter Kai Trump, Knicks owner James Dolan, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. (Saúl Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
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“The Knicks remain neutral on political matters,” the team said in a statement at the time. “We expect all of our elected officials, whether current or newly elected, to do a great job in their positions.”
