Washington [US], June 11: President Donald Trump might be a New Yorker, but he received an icy reception at the NBA Finals Game 3 on Monday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The crowd booed loudly when TV cameras captured the politician saluting during the national anthem. He was accompanied by his eldest grandchild, Kai Trump, as well other politicos and James Dolan, the owner of the New York Knicks. Dolan was the one who invited him for the third game in the series against the San Antonio Spurs, which won the game 115-111. (Game 4 is on Wednesday.)The frequent target of Trump's criticism also teased that the president wanted to attend in person and "if necessary, to overturn the results of the game."
He also mocked Trump's choice of team, the Knicks.
"You'd think Trump would be rooting for the Spurs, right? It's what got him out of Vietnam," Kimmel said in reference to Trump having been given a medical exemption to participating in the Vietnam War because of bone spurs.
It's unclear whether he was booed more for his politics or for the chaos his visit caused event attendees.
Reporters traveling to the 20,000-seat venue with Trump said that, along the way, his motorcade saw people holding up signs with sentiments such as "Impeach. Convict. Remove." and "Nobody wants you here," as well as a couple of middle fingers, The Athletic reported.
While Trump did succeed in being the first sitting U.S. president to attend a game in the league's final, his presence required extra security, such as bullet-proof glass for his box. The other sports fans encountered extra-long security lines.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to the White House for comment.
He was far from the only fan with celebrity status. Law & Order stars Mariska Hargitay and Christopher Meloni; Spike Lee; Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor; Timothee Chalamet; and Saturday Night Live alums Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan were just a few of the others.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
