Donald Trump booed heavily during NBA Finals national anthem at MSG

Jun 9, 2026 - 05:00

US President Donald Trump attends Game Three of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump turned the 2026 NBA Finals into a chaotic mess by deciding to attend Game 3 between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. Fans were told to arrive two hours early and waited in airport-style lines just to get into Madison Square Garden. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox told reporters “The president being here just makes it inconvenient on everybody else.”

New Yorkers showed Trump how they feel about him when he shown on the jumbotron during the national anthem.

The result? Loud boos. Watch some videos from inside the arena here:

Different angle of moment President Trump was booed during the anthem. pic.twitter.com/jyx3kvuNbR— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 9, 2026

THEY DOING TRUMP BAD LMAOOOOOO pic.twitter.com/EPqkmRx8FO— … (@MindOfBron) June 9, 2026

Trump LOUDLY booed during the national anthem pic.twitter.com/sKzIIhWQ2S— Jack Settleman (@jacksettleman) June 9, 2026

Trump’s approval rating is near a record low right now, so the boos aren’t surprising. Trump is the first sitting United States President to ever attend an NBA Finals game.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended Trump’s appearance to the “Inside the NBA” crew before the game:

Adam Silver on Donald Trump:

“He was a fixture at Madison Square Garden…he had courtside seats, here ALL the time. He was at drafts. He's a GENUINE Knicks fan." pic.twitter.com/Q36b2myPUS— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) June 9, 2026

The Knicks are up 2-0 in the series entering Game 3. Will Trump’s appearance curse the vibes? We know some Knicks players don’t like him. Here’s a 2020 tweet from Knicks wing Josh Hart: