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Knicks Accept White House Invitation for NBA Championship Visit

From CBS News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • New York Knicks owner James Dolan confirmed the team accepted an invitation to visit the White House.
  • This marks the first time an NBA Finals winner will visit the White House during President Trump's term.
  • The visit date is yet to be determined, and it's unclear which players will attend.

New York Knicks owner James Dolan has confirmed that the team has accepted an invitation to visit the White House, a move that will make them the first NBA Finals champions to do so during President Donald Trump's time in office.

We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details, et cetera.

— James Dolanconfirming the Knicks' acceptance of a White House invitation

Dolan announced the acceptance in an interview on sports-talk radio station WFAN, stating, "We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details, et cetera." He also mentioned inviting President Trump to attend a game, noting their 30-year friendship and expressing pride in bringing the team to Washington.

A White House official confirmed to CBS News that they have been in contact with the Knicks and "look forward to hosting the team at a date to be determined in the near future." Details regarding which players will participate in the visit remain unclear, and it is unknown if any players will opt out.

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.

— James Dolandiscussing his relationship with President Trump and the upcoming visit

President Trump, a longtime Knicks fan and friend of Dolan, attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks secured their first NBA championship in over 50 years by defeating the San Antonio Spurs. Trump praised the team, Dolan, and star point guard Jalen Brunson on Truth Social, calling their victory "maybe the greatest in the history of basketball."

We have been in touch with the Knicks and look forward to hosting the team at a date to be determined in the near future.

— White House officialconfirming the White House's communication with the Knicks

Previous NBA champions have had varied interactions with the Trump White House. The Oklahoma City Thunder did not visit in 2023 due to scheduling conflicts. In 2017 and 2018, Trump uninvited the Golden State Warriors, citing player comments. Invitations were not extended to the Toronto Raptors in 2019 or the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, the latter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump had also previously stated he would not invite Lakers star LeBron James.

maybe the greatest in the history of basketball.

— President Trumppraising the Knicks' NBA title win
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CBS News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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