Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Trump Calls NBA a Little Left-Wing After Becoming 1st Sitting President at Finals Game

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Trump Calls NBA a Little Left-Wing After Becoming 1st Sitting President at Finals Game

Q: What caused Trump's shift from a harsh NBA critic to a fan praising the league at the 2026 Finals?

Trump’s change in tone appears to be less a sudden conversion than a return to an older loyalty, reinforced by the moment and the company he kept. The strongest explanation is that Trump has long been a genuine New York Knicks fan. Reporting around the Finals noted that he attended Knicks games for decades, was known at Madison Square Garden before entering politics, and was described by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as a real, long-standing fan of the team. The Knicks’ first Finals run in 27 years gave him a natural reason to re-engage publicly with the league. His relationship with Knicks owner James Dolan also mattered. Trump attended Game 3 as Dolan’s guest, and the two have a long personal relationship. That made the visit easier politically and socially, and it placed Trump in a setting tied more to the Knicks and Dolan than to his earlier disputes with the NBA as an institution. The league itself also seems to have looked different to him than it did during his 2020 criticism. After the game, Trump said the NBA had become “rougher” and “tougher,” and called it “great entertainment.” That suggests his praise was tied to his view that the on-court product had shifted in a direction he liked, even as he still acknowledged the league “tends to be a little left-wing.” So the shift was likely driven by a mix of old Knicks fandom, the Knicks’ historic success, Dolan’s invitation, and Trump’s sense that the NBA’s style now better matched his preferences.

Q: Was Trump's historic NBA visit also a business meeting about Penn Station's future with Knicks owner James Dolan?

No. There is no reporting that Trump’s appearance at Game 3 itself was a formal business meeting about Penn Station with James Dolan. What is supported by the available reporting is a strong connection between the visit and the Penn Station issue. Trump attended the game as Dolan’s guest, and the two have an established relationship. Separate reports say they had discussed Penn Station in earlier private meetings, including in the weeks before the Finals. Those discussions centered on the future of Madison Square Garden as part of the station overhaul. The timing also matters. The Trump administration had already moved forward with a Penn Station redevelopment plan that did not require relocating Madison Square Garden, a result favorable to Dolan. Reports noted that this decision was announced shortly before Trump’s Finals appearance at Dolan’s invitation. So the best reading is that the NBA visit was linked to a broader context of prior Penn Station talks and a recently settled outcome that benefited Dolan. But there is no clear evidence from the reporting that the suite at Madison Square Garden became an active negotiating session during the game. In that sense, the visit looked more like a high-profile social appearance after earlier discussions, not the business meeting itself.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 9

Donald Trump said the NBA remains "a little left-wing" but praised it as "great entertainment" after attending Game 3 of the 2026 Finals at Madison Square Garden.
Monday night's appearance made Trump the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, where he watched his hometown Knicks face the Spurs and later spoke with Commissioner Adam Silver.
His remarks echoed his 2020 attacks on the league as "highly political" over social-justice jersey messages and anthem kneeling, though he also said today's NBA is "rougher" and more physical than 10 years ago.
Trump's visit drew a loud crowd reaction and heavy security in New York, with fencing around MSG, longer entry lines and nearby watch parties canceled.