Donald Trump gatecrashes the NBA Finals in NYC

This Monday is not just any other day in NYC. It’s a very special day, circled in red and held in anticipation for nearly 27 years because the New York Knicks return to play an NBA Finals series at home, at a Madison Square Garden that has driven ticket prices up and will experience a frenzied atmosphere.

Not only are the Finals returning to the Big Apple, but also the team bring a 2-0 series score after the Knicks won both games in San Antonio. The balance tips towards the franchise securing a third championship ring; their last was in 1973. Since that year, the Knicks have reached two finals in 1994 and 1999. The Spurs defeated them in the latter (the Houston Rockets in the former), adding a certain air of revenge to the matchup.

A celebration, ultimately, that will be somewhat diminished by the presence of Donald Trump at the Square. The president of the United States is a New Yorker and an avid sports fan: during this second term he has already attended the 2025 Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and the Ryder Cup.

His attendance forced New York police, in coordination with the Secret Service to ban the traditional street party around Madison Square Garden to watch the game on a giant screen, ESPN reports. The last street viewing, which coincided with the second game in San Antonio, ended with two dozen arrests after celebrations spilled into the streets surrounding the arena.

That does not mean these kinds of gatherings will disappear entirely: one was authorized at the Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park and another at the Brooklyn Bowl. Both events required prior registration and had already reached full capacity by Sunday afternoon.

“There will be no gatherings to watch the third game outside the Madison Square Garden. This was done in full coordination with the Secret Service due to the presidential visit. We expect that gatherings to watch the fourth game at the Madison Square Garden will resume,” read the statement from the New York Police Department (NYPD).

“Our responsibility is to ensure the highest level of public safety. Following careful coordination and assessment, the Secret Service and the NYPD jointly determined that outdoor gatherings to watch the fourth game in the vicinity of the Madison Square Garden could not be permitted due to the security requirements associated with an event of this magnitude and the need to maintain a secure environment for protective operations,” said Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service office in New York.

The Knicks have warned fans to arrive at Madison Square Garden at least two hours early because of the stringent security measures that will be implemented.

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