Spike Lee says he hopes the New York Knicks will decline an invitation to visit the White House, following the team’s NBA Finals win.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in June to claim their first championship in 53 years. In an interview with Variety, Lee, a longtime Knicks fan and outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, was asked about reports that some players would prefer to skip the traditional White House visit.
Interviewer Marlow Stern noted that Knicks owner James Dolan is friendly with Trump and reportedly wants the team to go. Lee responded that Dolan could not make the players attend, adding that it had been years since an NBA champion visited the White House. He said he hoped the Knicks would stay away.
Stern also suggested Trump’s appearance at Game 3 had disrupted the team’s momentum. The Knicks had won 13 straight playoff games before losing to the Spurs that night. Lee replied that Trump’s attendance was no accident.
Dolan had invited Trump, a New York native and longtime Knicks supporter, to the game at Madison Square Garden. Some New Yorkers, including “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, blamed the loss on Trump being there.
Elizabeth Pipko, host of “Made in America with Elizabeth Pipko” and a former Republican National Committee spokesperson, said players should not be pressured into doing anything they oppose. Still, she argued that the situation offered a broader lesson about engaging with people who hold different views.
People do not have to like or agree with the president, Pipko said, but she believes efforts to bring Americans together require a willingness to talk with those they disagree with. She added that public figures should encourage young people to focus on dialogue and solving problems, rather than treating refusal to engage as a sign of moral superiority.
Representatives for the Knicks and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
