President Donald Trump received a massive reaction from a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. The president attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
As the national anthem was being sung, Trump was shown on the MSG big screen above the court. A mixed reaction from the New York crowd immediately followed.
While there was some cheering as Trump saluted the crowd from his suite, the boos from those in attendance rang louder. The video then panned back to NYPD officers proudly holding flags on the court.
Trump was accompanied by his granddaughter, Kai Trump, who stood on his right with her hand over her heart. Knicks owner James Dolan was also seated in the suite on the president's left when he was shown to the crowd.
President Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag… pic.twitter.com/MK105rgSDe
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2026
This reception by fans in New York City was noticeably different from another key sporting event earlier this year. Fans at the College Football National Championship gave the president a much warmer welcome.
College football fans ate up the moment that Trump was shown on the Jumbotron at Hard Rock Stadium. When Trump waved to the Florida crowd surrounded by his grandchildren, the stadium went raucous with cheers. New York fans clearly did not share the same sentiment as those from Florida.
Trump’s arrival in New York required enhanced security throughout the heavily populated city. A security fence went up around MSG as the Secret Service and local law enforcement performed their duties to the highest standard. This resulted in longer lines and wait times to get into the arena.
The NYPD announced that vehicles and pedestrian traffic were closed from West 30th Street to West 35th Street. The closures between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue began at 4 p.m.
Popular watch parties in the area were abruptly canceled by local authorities. The NYPD claimed the cancellations were simply because of the necessary security for Trump’s visit.
"The NYPD in coordination with the Secret Service made the decision for Game 3, where we have a presidential visit, that we could not support watch parties right outside of the Garden," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during a news conference.
"USA! USA! USA!"
Chants erupted throughout Madison Square Garden during Game 3 of the NBA Finals with President Trump in attendance. pic.twitter.com/F612ZB3rYK
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 9, 2026
"We are looking forward to bringing back watch parties for Game 4. But I think New Yorkers are used to presidents coming to town, and they understand that that generally means lockdowns of areas and that's what you're going to see tonight at the Garden," Tisch added.
MSG quickly pushed back on the NYPD’s official stance regarding the canceled events. The venue stated that the permit was denied by local city officials rather than directly because of Trump’s presence.
Trump has attended numerous major sporting events since beginning his second term. These high-profile appearances include the Super Bowl in New Orleans two seasons ago, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup.