The New York Knicks plan to become the first NBA team to visit President Donald Trump at the White House, team owner James Dolan confirmed Wednesday. Dolan made the announcement during an appearance on The Craig Carton Show, saying the team had already accepted the invitation.
According to Yahoo Sports, Dolan is a personal friend of Trump and said he had known the president for 30 years. "We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details, etc., 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," Dolan said.
No NBA team has visited Trump during either of his two presidential terms. Several of the league's biggest names have spoken out against the president or declined to attend such events. The most prominent example came during Trump's first term, when Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry said he did not want to go. Trump pulled back the Warriors' invitation shortly after Curry made that statement.
During this year's NBA Finals, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a Finals game, appearing at Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks lost that game but went on to win the series 4-1 over the San Antonio Spurs. Trump was greeted with loud boos from fans who had to arrive early to go through TSA-style security. He spent the game seated next to Dolan behind bulletproof glass in the owner's suite.
Dolan has since said Trump did not fall asleep during the game, despite a viral video that appeared to show otherwise.
It remains unclear how many members of the Knicks organization will actually make the trip. The list of recent NBA champions and their White House decisions shows a divided league. The Milwaukee Bucks visited in 2021, the Golden State Warriors went in 2022, and the Boston Celtics visited in 2024. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the title in 2025, did not go. The three Warriors championship teams and the Toronto Raptors also declined during Trump's first term.
Bench guard Jose Alvarado said earlier Wednesday that he would go if his teammates decided to attend. Whether any Knicks players choose not to participate remains to be seen. The details of the visit have not yet been finalized.