By Michelle L. Price and Will Weissert
The Associated Press
June 5, 2026 - 1:55 pm
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — President Donald Trump confirmed helium volition be Game 3 of the NBA Finals connected Monday astatine Madison Square Garden, but said helium doesn’t person overmuch sympathy for mean hoops fans who can’t spend sky-high summons prices to bash the same.
“They tin ticker it connected television,” Trump told reporters connected Air Force One connected Friday arsenic helium flew to Wisconsin for an lawsuit with farmers, aft helium was asked astir tickets that person climbed arsenic precocious arsenic $8,000 each erstwhile the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs quadrate disconnected successful Manhattan for the archetypal clip successful the series.
“It’s sorta semi-free to ticker it connected television,” the president added. “That’s the mode beingness goes.”
Trump further noted that if the Knicks weren’t palmy — arsenic they haven’t been astir seasons since past advancing to the finals successful 1999 — “you could spell precise easily.”
The president of people doesn’t person to acquisition tickets to be large sporting events. Trump has been to a batch of them successful his 2nd term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.
But a centerpiece of his re-election run was a committedness to tame ostentation and bring down the terms of groceries and different cost-of-living essentials. He has progressively travel nether unit to marque bully connected that pledge arsenic November midterm elections gully nearer — and arsenic the warfare successful Iran has caused state prices to spike and planetary commodities markets to wobble, raising caller fears astir ostentation and the spot of the U.S. economy.
A longtime Knicks fan, Trump said connected Air Force One that helium watched Game 1, which New York won 105-95 successful San Antonio. “I deliberation the Knicks person an astonishing squad the mode they played,” helium said.
“Started disconnected dilatory and it conscionable got stronger and stronger,” Trump said of Game 1. He pointed to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns erstwhile asked to sanction his favourite subordinate connected the team.
Trump was besides asked astir Spurs prima Victor Wembanyama having stood with his arms crossed for the nationalist anthem earlier Game 1. That touched disconnected a blimpish firestorm online, adjacent though Wembanyama is French, meaning his country’s anthem wasn’t being played.
Trump was complimentary of Wembanyama, saying that helium “looks similar he’s gonna beryllium a large player.” But helium ducked a accidental to measurement successful connected the nationalist anthem controversy, suggesting he’d not seen Wembanyamba’s crossed arms.
“Is that what helium did? What did helium mean by that?” Trump asked, earlier recommending that reporters question the reply from Wembanyama himself.
Trump confirming his attendance for Game 3 follows NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying connected Wednesday that a statesmanlike quality astatine a finals crippled mightiness beryllium unifying successful “our progressively divided society.”
“It creates a consciousness of connectivity among people,” Silver said. “It creates a consciousness of belonging, and I consciousness that each day.”
Weissert reported from Washington.
English (US)·