After a 53-year drought, the New York Knicks finally won the championship this month. That’s not the only streak James Dolan’s team is set to break, though. They will also end the run of NBA champions not visiting President Donald Trump at the White House after the team owner confirmed they plan to do so.
However, former wide receiver T. J. Houshmandzadeh has argued that Josh Hart shouldn’t be allowed to visit, especially in light of his old tweets about the president.
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Back in 2020, Hart celebrated Joe Biden’s victory on social media by writing, “YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S [expletive] OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!” The post has since been deleted.
Trump was invited to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, and several Knicks fans booed and jeered him when he appeared on the Jumbotron.
Now, Houshmandzadeh didn’t mince words on SPEAKEASY, saying, “There’s no way you can tweet ‘Get Trump’s [expletive] out of the White House’ and then backpedal faster than Deion.”
“There’s no way you can tweet ‘Get Trump’s dumbass out the White House’ and then back pedal faster than Deion”
– @housh84 responds to news that the New York Knicks will be the first NBA team to accept the White House invitation from Donald Trump
LIVE https://t.co/ihxhrOFedf pic.twitter.com/UMEUt7HqIZ
— Speakeasy (@speakeasytlkshw) June 19, 2026
Last season’s NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, did not visit the White House due to a “timing issue.” Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors opted not to visit in 2017, and Trump later said he had withdrawn the invitation. They were not invited after their 2018 championship either.
They weren’t the only ones. The New York Liberty, the 2024 WNBA champions, were not invited to the White House. The gold medal-winning U.S. women’s hockey team was invited only after significant backlash, and they subsequently declined. In 2018, Trump also revoked his invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles after several players refused to attend.
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However, the Knicks’ owner confirmed the team will visit the White House, saying, “We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course. Look, 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.”
Trump’s lack of popularity in NBA circles isn’t surprising. He has repeatedly attacked the league for being too liberal and too tolerant of player activism. The U.S. president has also publicly targeted superstars such as Steph Curry and LeBron James.
However, the Knicks’ visit will end a longstanding streak and could prompt other teams to follow suit in the years ahead.
