The New York Knicks have captured the NBA championship, and there is growing speculation about whether the team will travel to the White House to celebrate with President Donald Trump.
Knicks owner James Dolan, who maintains a close relationship with President Trump, invited the president to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Trump accepted, creating logistical challenges around the arena. Fans booed him loudly when his image appeared during the national anthem, while standing in Dolan’s box with several of his cabinet members, and the Knicks ultimately lost the game.
In a radio interview on Wednesday, Dolan stated that President Trump had extended an invitation to the Knicks to visit the White House, and that the team has agreed to the invitation. The timing of the visit and the participation of the full roster remain undetermined.
Several Knicks players have previously expressed strong criticism of the president. Guard Josh Hart, whose social‑media posts have been deleted, repeatedly labeled the president a “dumbass.” On the day of the 2020 election, he posted, “YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBASS OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!”
YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBASS OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) November 7, 2020
The tweet resurfaced after Dolan announced that President Trump would attend Game 3. In response, Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns voiced concern about the security complications — such as canceled watch parties outside Madison Square Garden — that the city faced. He emphasized, “Fans have earned the right and deserve to watch Finals basketball here at Madison Square Garden,” during a pre‑game press conference.
Not every champion has chosen to share their victory with the controversial president, and his invitations have not always been consistent. The New York Liberty, the 2025 WNBA champions, were not invited to the White House. The U.S. women’s hockey team, after winning gold, received an invitation only following criticism and subsequently declined. In 2018, Trump withdrew his invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles after several players on the championship roster publicly refused to attend.
It is unsurprising that NBA teams have been reluctant to attend. President Trump has repeatedly criticized the league for its perceived liberalism and tolerance of player activism, particularly regarding movements such as Black Lives Matter, and has singled out superstars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James. The 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors champions declined to visit Trump, who withdrew his 2017 invitation after reports indicated Curry, a vocal Democrat, might decline. The Toronto Raptors, after winning the 2019 title, and the Los Angeles Lakers, after their 2020 championship, also chose not to visit the White House. The 2025 NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, likewise declined to celebrate with Trump.
The Knicks are positioned to become the first NBA champions in recent memory to visit the White House, provided that owner James Dolan — known for his controlling, paranoid, and vengeful style, including a 10‑week abstinence directive for his players — decides to arrange the trip.

