Madison Square Garden is set to be filled to the brim Monday night with passionate Knicks fans decked out in their orange and blue pride, but eyes may be on what two of the most powerful New Yorkers will be doing during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
President Donald Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have said they will be attending the game and cheering on the Knicks as they seek another win in the best-of-seven series.
Trump, who has sat courtside at many Knicks games before being elected president, said he was personally invited by Jim Dolan, the team’s owner and longtime friend of the president.
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“They’re really great, a great team. I’m happy for Jim because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team,” Trump told reporters Thursday.
It’s highly unlikely that if Trump attends, he will be sitting courtside due to security concerns, and it’s not known who he will be seated with.
The president isn’t expected to be the only major elected official in the “World’s Most Famous Arena” during tip-off, as Mamdani revealed Thursday he will be attending the game.
“I’m paying for my own ticket,” the mayor said in an interview with radio station 1010 Wins Friday.
Trump and Mamdani have had personal meetings at the White House ever since the Democratic Socialist won the 2025 mayoral election.
However, Mamdani indicated on Thursday that he will be “in a very different section of the stadium” than the president during the game. He has dodged several questions about whether he will meet with Trump during his trip to New York.
“If I do see him, I will let him know what I’ve said time and again, which is we’re excited to welcome anyone and everyone who’s rooting for the Knicks,” Mamdani told 1010 Wins Friday.
The mayor had previously watched the Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 21 and was seated high up in the cheaper seats along with city public advocate Jumaane Williams.
Their attendance was unannounced before the game.
Mamdani indicated that once again he would not be in the best seats in the Garden for Monday’s matchup.
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“I can tell you that I won’t be courtside or in a suite, but I can’t wait to see the game,” he told the radio station.
Mamdani has been vocally critical of the Trump administration’s policy on immigration, government cuts and threats to cut funding to Democratic run states and cities.
During the election, Trump vocally decried Mamdani, calling him a “communist” and warning that New York would be in a worse place under his leadership.
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The president’s tone changed on Nov. 21, when Mamdani met with Trump in the Oval Office and they emerged with a much more amicable relationship.
“I think this mayor could do some things that are going to be really great,” Trump said in a news conference after the meeting, where he smiled, shook Mamdani’s hand and even patted him on the back.
The mayor and president met another time in the winter and Mamdani has said he has spoken to Trump on the phone numerous times about matters to the city.
Mamdani has maintained his opposition to many of the president’s policies but has maintained he is open to working with him to help New Yorkers, especially when it comes to driving down housing costs.
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