NBA champion Knicks accept Trump's invite to take victory tour to White House
President Donald Trump gestures during the National Anthem as he attends an NBA Finals playoff basketball game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8 with Kai Trump, left. Credit: AP/Mark Schiefelbein
WASHINGTON — The New York Knicks are expected to take their victory tour to the White House.
Team owner James Dolan announced on WFAN sports radio Wednesday afternoon that the NBA championship team has been invited to meet with President Donald Trump and be honored at the White House on a yet-to-be-determined date.
"We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted," Dolan told interviewer Craig Carton, adding that Trump "is a friend. I've known him for 30 years, and I'm very proud to bring the team to the White House."
Dolan, who invited the president to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, said it was a privilege to host Trump, the first time a sitting president has attended an NBA finals game.
The White House did not return a request for comment on Thursday, but a Knicks visit would mark the first time an NBA championship team accepted Trump's invitation to be feted at the White House over his two terms. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, and Golden State Warriors all turned down invitations from Trump.
During the playoffs, Trump had been publicly rooting for the team and after their win he congratulated them in a Truth Social post, saying the current team could be classified as "one of the greatest" of all time.
Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.
