Commissioner Adam Silver is welcoming U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming NBA Finals appearance with open arms.
Adam Silver doesn’t mind seeing Donald Trump enjoying basketball by watching this year’s NBA Finals.
Victor Wembanyama
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As reports broke out that Trump would watch Game 3 of the championship series between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, the NBA Commissioner welcomed the looming attendance of the United States president.
“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said of Trump, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days.
“He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden, and he actually appeared in one of our ‘I love this Game’ spots when I was running NBA entertainment years ago.”
A native New Yorker and well-known Knicks fan, Trump will be one of the major figures expected to watch the series, as Game 3 of the Finals will be on Monday in Madison Square Garden.
Trump himself previously teased that he would watch a Knicks postseason game, revealing that he was actually invited by team owner James Dolan.
Often making appearances in several sporting events since he seized political power, Trump would become the first U.S. president to watch an NBA game in person since Barack Obama in 2015.
Despite Trump’s polarizing image and New York’s largely Democratic political landscape, Silver is compelled enough to embrace the president’s presence that would contribute to the prestige of the league’s biggest stage.
“I think sports in particular is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver said. “It creates a sense of belonging. We’re seeing that in New York and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker and I’m thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team.”
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