Knicks Still Deciding on White House Visit

The New York Knicks are currently weighing their options on whether to become the first NBA champions to visit President Trump at the White House. This consideration comes a few months after team owner James Dolan indicated that he accepted Trump’s invitation.

Mike Brown, the head coach of the Knicks, mentioned that the team has yet to make a firm decision. “No, that’s still something that our guys, the organization, is internally discussing,” he stated. “Whatever we decide to do, we’ll all do together.”

Interestingly, during Trump’s presidency, the previous four NBA champions either did not receive invitations or chose to skip the visit; the Warriors, Raptors, and Thunder all opted out for various reasons. The Thunder cited a “timing issue” for their absence last year, though the Knicks won’t have that excuse this season. They have a day off before playing against the Wizards in Washington on December 18, as well as two additional days before their next game in New Orleans.

This decision is occurring in the midst of a road trip, which perhaps complicates things a little, but still seems manageable.

In 2018, the Warriors visited former President Barack Obama instead of Trump, and the year before, Trump retracted an invitation to them when star player Stephen Curry expressed hesitance about attending. Brown, interestingly, served as an assistant coach for the Warriors during both of those championships.

Under President Biden’s administration, three of the last four NBA champions made visits to the White House. The Nuggets were the only team to miss out after a postponement from the White House.

Dolan had publicly stated his intention to bring the Knicks to meet Trump, emphasizing their long-standing relationship. “I’ve known [Trump] for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House,” Dolan said shortly after the Knicks secured the championship.

Trump, an ardent Knicks supporter, made history as the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game when he watched Game 3 at Madison Square Garden, where he was briefly featured on the jumbotron and received a mixed reaction from the crowd.

Five days later, the Knicks clinched their first championship in 53 years by defeating the Spurs. Following their victory, Trump congratulated Dolan and the team, praising their incredible playoff performance and highlighting standout player Jalen Brunson.