NBA Commissioner Adam Silver pushed back on the idea that Donald Trump's Game 3 appearance at Madison Square Garden was just a political stunt, pointing instead to his long New York Knicks history.
Trump's visit has been one of the loudest subplots around the Knicks' first home NBA Finals game in 27 years. Security lines, canceled watch-party plans, and political criticism have all followed his arrival in New York.
Silver did not ignore the disruption, but he also made clear that Trump's connection to the Knicks did not begin with this Finals run.
Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
Eric Daugherty on X shared Adam Silver's defense of Donald Trump's New York Knicks fandom before Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
"He was a fixture at Madison Square Garden… he had courtside seats, here ALL the time. He was at drafts. He's a genuine Knicks fan," Silver said.
Silver's answer mattered because Trump's motives had been questioned before tipoff, including by critics who argued he was injecting himself into a rare New York sports celebration.
The commissioner leaned on history rather than politics. Trump was a regular celebrity presence at Knicks games before entering office, and Silver said he personally remembered seeing him around the league and the Garden during that era.
Silver also acknowledged that Game 3 came with extra inconvenience. Trump's attendance brought Secret Service involvement, enhanced screening, stricter entry procedures, and changes around Madison Square Garden.
"The arena is packed. People got through extra security… we should be using sports to create more community, not less," Silver added.
That was Silver's broader message. He framed the night as a chance for basketball to pull people into the same room, even when the outside noise around the event was loud.
The criticism of Trump's attendance did not disappear because of Silver's comments. Still, the commissioner gave the clearest league-side defense yet, arguing that a longtime Knicks fan being at the Knicks' biggest home game in decades should not become the thing that divides the night.
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