Although he was front and center for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, President Trump is unlikely to attend Game 4 on Wednesday.
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According to CBS Sports, the world leader is skipping Game 4, which will be held at Madison Square Garden, due to scheduling conflicts and obligations. The game will be taking place just days before he hosts UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House.
Forbes also reported that Trump and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administration, Lee Zeldin, were asked if they would be attending Game 5 in San Antonio.
As Zeldin stated, they would be “busy with a lot of important stuff right now,” Trump also noted, “Like a war,” in reference to the US-Iran conflict. They did not mention the UFC event.
During Game 3, Trump was met with boos from NBA fans inside Madison Square Garden.
While fans in the stands chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as singer Avery Wilson sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” they began to boo when cameras panned to Trump on the screen as he gave a military salute.
The booing seemed to stop when the screens changed to the US flag. Fans in the arena then cheered as the New York Knicks took the court.
Despite the reaction, Trump remained unfazed.
“I thought great,” he said about the reaction while speaking to reporters after the game. “It was amazing, actually. I thought it was very good, yeah. It was certainly amazing.”
He then noted, “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”
Madison Square Garden’s Security Remains High Even Though Trump Will Not Be at the NBA Game
Meanwhile, it was reported that Madison Square Garden’s security will remain on high alert during Game 4.
Yahoo! Sports also reported that some of the extra security measures put in place for Trump are staying in place. This includes the “frozen zone” restrictions around the arena.
“The last several victories the Knicks have had have been celebrated by thousands and thousands outside MSG,” Madison Square Garden Sports said in a statement. “The joy and happiness were palpable everywhere. Apparently, Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch, despite what they say, don’t want to see these celebrations happen.”
The statement further read, “The complete closing of areas around MSG is going to affect not only the celebration but also all the small businesses that rely on Garden fans for their livelihood. Their celebrations are part of the heart and soul of New Yorkers.”
Players from both teams noticed the impact of Trump’s presence at Game 3.
“I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else,” Spurs point guard DeAaron Fox. We’ve got more, obviously more security. We’ve got to send stuff early, I think our buses are a little earlier. …
He then added, “The less stuff you can bring, the better. Obviously, we’re getting screened like it’s TSA. A little inconvenient for the people that’s gotta play. It is what it is.”
The New York Knicks previously had a 2-0 lead against the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973.