President Donald Trump attended the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden during the Knicks’ championship run. Now, the team is preparing to visit the White House.
Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed Wednesday on WFAN that the franchise has accepted an invitation from the president, making New York the first NBA champion to visit the White House during either of Trump’s two terms.
“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan said.
“We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course. Look, I invited the President to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
The announcement follows online speculation that the Knicks had declined a visit.
A White House official denied those reports, telling Vanity Fair: “This is fake news. The White House congratulates the Knicks on their championship win and looks forward to discussing a visit in the near future.”
Trump, a longtime Knicks fan, became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game when he watched Game 3 in New York.
After the Knicks secured their first title in 53 years, he praised the team on Truth Social, highlighting owner James Dolan and stars including Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
The Celtics were the last NBA champions to visit the White House, doing so in 2024 under President Joe Biden.
Knicks will make history as first NBA team to visit Trump White House https://t.co/aMr8bOB1hb pic.twitter.com/RK7NWwOetP
— New York Post (@nypost) June 17, 2026
