Donald Trump booed at Madison Square Garden during NBA Finals

2 min readJun 9, 2026 10:51 AM IST

US President Donald Trump was loudly booed at Madison Square Garden in New York when he appeared on the arena’s video screens during the national anthem before the NBA Finals.

Fans initially chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” as the rendition of the national anthem by Avery Wilson was played. The mood immediately shifted when Trump appeared on the arena’s jumbo screens, prompting loud boos from the crowd.

The jeers subsided when the US flag was displayed, and fans cheered when the New York Knicks appeared on screen.

Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One for his return to Washington, Trump said he believed the reception was largely positive.

“It was, I think, mostly cheers,” he said. “It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”

Trump watched Game 3 of the NBA Finals from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy and Doug Burgum.

The US president sat alongside Dolan during the first quarter before spending part of the second quarter talking to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman.

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Trump’s attendance marked the first time a sitting US president attended an NBA Finals game.

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