President Trump is considering making an appearance at the N.B.A. finals, a rarity for an American leader, after his hometown New York Knicks clinched a championship spot, according to three people familiar with the matter.
An appearance by Mr. Trump at Madison Square Garden would be the latest incidence of a high-profile sports event serving as a backdrop for his presidency. Mr. Trump last year showed up at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the U.S. Open men’s final and a Yankees game. He is currently erecting an octagonal cage on the South Lawn of the White House for an Ultimate Fighting Championship match on his birthday next month. He has maintained friendships with the leaders of sports organizations, including Dana White, the head of the U.F.C., to galvanize support in the “manosphere.”
If the Knicks had lost Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday, Mr. Trump had planned to make a surprise appearance among the team’s faithful at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, according to three people familiar with the planning. But after the Knicks completed a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, the president is turning to the N.B.A. championship.
Mr. Trump has said in recent weeks that he remains a Knicks fan and has been following the team’s progress.
“I really like Jim Dolan a lot, I’m really happy for him and the team,” Mr. Trump said of James Dolan, the owner of the Knicks, the New York Rangers and Madison Square Garden, on WABC-AM, known as TalkRadio 77. “I think it’s great.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Madison Square Garden said he did not know if Mr. Trump was attending the N.B.A. finals in New York, but that the president — no matter who holds the office — is always welcome at the venue.
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