President Donald Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals pitting the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on Monday evening has divided opinion among fans and analysts. Trump, who is a native New Yorker, became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.
Two-Time Super Bowl Champ Blames Knicks’ Loss on Donald Trump
The Knicks’ spectacular 13-game playoff-winning run was snapped on Monday as the Victor Wembanyama-led Spurs notched their first win in the series, 115-111, to set up a thrilling Game 4 on Wednesday at the same venue.
During Monday’s segment of the “Speakeasy” show, two-time Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy blamed the Knicks’ loss to the Spurs on Trump’s presence at The Garden.
“What about the aura and the energy? Like if Kyrie Irving was there, he would have had to sage the whole spot… [because of] some of that negative energy,” McCoy said. “When you win a championship, everybody goes to the White House; nobody even wants to go to the White House, so that’s some negative energy there.”
“It ain’t no secret, he divides all types of Americans,” McCoy added. “So, some of that had something to do with it. Everybody can’t wait to get to The Garden to play and then Trump comes and they’re like, ‘Oh sh*t.’ You tell me that had nothing to do with this game?… I think he had something to do with it.”
Security around The Garden was tightened due to the president’s visit, and a planned watch party, a staple of the playoffs, was canceled and moved to Bryant Park. Fans had to arrive at the venue hours before the game due to multiple security checkpoints installed to screen fans before they entered MSG.
Stephen A. Smith Blasts Trump for Disruptive Presence at MSG
McCoy was not the only analyst to blame the Knicks’ loss on Trump’s attendance, as before the game, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith also blasted the president for disrupting the fervent atmosphere that had gripped New York during the postseason.
“If it causes the New York Knicks to lose tonight, I’m blaming him. I’m blaming the President of the United States,” Smith said.
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“This is about an individual engaging in a level of narcissism that really rakes my freakin’ nerves,” Smith added. “He’s got no business here tonight. It has nothing to do with politics. It was everything to do with the fervor that exists around the New York Knicks and he is disrupting everything the Knicks have been vibing with.”
Trump was roundly booed at Madison Square Garden when his face was shown on the Jumbotron during the singing of the national anthem, and he was later caught napping during the game, much to the ire of the fans.
