Days after their first championship since 1973, the New York Knicks are headed for a different kind of spotlight. Owner James Dolan said the team has accepted an invitation to visit President Donald Trump at the White House, a decision that would make the Knicks the first NBA champion to make the trip during either of Trump's terms — and one that has already drawn pushback in New York.
Dolan confirmed the plan in an interview with WFAN. "We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted," he said. "We still have to figure out the details, etc., but yes, of course." He cast the visit as an extension of a long personal relationship with the president. "I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend, I've known him for 30 years, and I'm very proud to bring the team to the White House."
That game was Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 8, when Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals contest. He watched from Dolan's suite, seated behind bulletproof glass, and was met with audible boos from the Garden crowd.
The acceptance landed quickly into politics. New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a reminder to members of the Knicks that they are not obligated to attend if they do not want to, signaling that the players retain a personal choice even after the owner's decision. Her response underscored that championship White House visits, once routine, have become a flashpoint.
The history bears that out. Trump rescinded the Golden State Warriors' invitation in 2017 after Stephen Curry said he did not want to attend, and the Warriors declined again the following year. The Toronto Raptors followed suit in 2019. The Los Angeles Lakers waited until Joe Biden took office before marking their 2020 title. Three of the next four champions visited the Biden White House, but the 2025 champion Oklahoma City Thunder declined Trump's invitation after he returned to office.
That makes the Knicks an outlier among recent winners. Where other teams hesitated or declined, Dolan — a longtime Trump ally — moved fast to accept, framing the visit as a celebration rather than a statement.
The details, including a date, remain unsettled, and it is not yet clear whether every player will take part. For a franchise that waited 52 years to win again, the parade down the Canyon of Heroes was the uncomplicated part. The trip to Pennsylvania Avenue is shaping up to be anything but.
