Chaos outside Madison Square Garden as thousands of NBA fans struggle to get past metal detectors and police barricades ahead of Trump's arrival
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Fans who paid tens of thousands of dollars to watch the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals faced the devastating prospect of missing the start of the game due to the extensive security measures in place to accommodate President Trump.
Those stuck outside of Madison Square Garden became restless as the President arrived to watch one of the most anticipated games in New York sports history. Some even claimed that police told them they were unsure of the protocols that should be enforced surrounding Trump's attendance.
Lines to get in were starting at least four blocks away from MSG, while metal detectors were set up 200 feet away from the venue that every fan would have to pass through, with the Secret Service watching on. Trump protestors gathered near the venue, too, adding to the tension outside as tipoff neared.
The New York Police Department and Secret Service established a multiblock security perimeter around the arena and, controversially, canceled the hugely popular watch parties outside of the venue. The NYPD even shut down every sidewalk and street from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue in a move halting all pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Ticket holders have also been stopped from bringing bags in with them. And as those fans waited nervously to make it inside, Trump's helicopter landed near Wall Street with the Beast on hand to drive him up to iconic Manhattan venue. As he arrived, Trump waved to the fans who, after waiting 27 years to see the Knicks make an NBA Finals, were now waiting just a little bit more so that the president could also be there.
The Knicks lead the series against the San Antonio Spurs 2-0, igniting wild excitement across the city of New York ahead of Game 3 - the first to be held in Manhattan. Fans across the city are desperate to see the team clinch their first championship this century and end a wait of over 50 years for glory.
New York Knicks fans lined up around Madison Square Garden before the NBA Finals
Fans lucky enough to have a ticket suddenly faced the prospect of missing the start
President Trump pictured in the Beast as he made his way towards Madison Square Garden
He waved to supporters who filmed him making his way through Manhattan and to the game
The Knicks last made the NBA Finals in 1999 and have not won one since 1973. As the home team ran out onto the court to warm up, the arena exploded with noise with the vast majority of fans inside the building with around 10 minutes to go before the start.
Yet with history beckoning, Trump's decision to attend has turned the excitement into anxiety during the buildup for those lucky enough to have gotten their hands on the hottest ticket in town.
Trump has attended multiple high-profile sporting events in his second term in office.
He became the first sitting President to attend a Super Bowl when he made it to the showpiece game in February 2025 in New Orleans, watching the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fans faced similar issues to the Knicks followers when he attended the men's US Open final last year, too. Trump has also appeared at the Ryder Cup, a New York Yankees game on the anniversary of 9/11 and other NFL games.
But NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Trump was welcome at the game, despite the issues it was causing the Knicks fans
'I found out (Trump was going) because Jim Dolan (the New York Knicks owner) invited him to the game and he said yes,' Silver said on ESPN. 'He is welcome to be here.
'What I will say about President Trump is that he was a fixture at NBA, Madison Square Garden (in the past). A genuine Knicks fan. Yes, some inconvenience to fans but if you look around the area, it is getting packed. People listened and got here early. We should be using sports to create more of a sense of community.'
Protestors gathered outside of MSG before Trump had arrived to watch the game
As chaos emerged around MSG, Trump's helicopter touched down near Wall Street
The calm before the storm inside MSG as fans desperately waited to make it inside
Knicks fans are desperately hoping their team wins their first championship since 1973
The Knicks ticket prices rocketed in price after the Knicks stormed into a 2-0 lead from the first two games in San Antonio - fans were splahing out over $10,000 for the cheapest seats in the world famous venue.
Trump will be one of many famous faces inside the venue for Game 3. Knicks superfans and Hollywood stars Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller are expected to be sitting courtside.
Others, including Larry David and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, had made it into the building in good time. The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, has said he will be there too.
Trump's attendance was slammed on Monday by ESPN's increasingly political analyst Stephen A. Smith, who called him 'narcissistic' for his move.
'This president has no business showing up in New York City. I am dead serious. It is selfish, it is narcissistic, it is ridiculous that he is coming to this game,' Smith said on First Take.
'I would say the same thing if it were Obama, George W., Clinton. I don't give a damn, we went back to Reagan.
'This is not a football stadium in some space in Texas where you got a whole bunch of outlays and all of this.
Tickets had been changing hands for over $10,000 before the game on Monday night
'This is the Garden. This is Midtown Manhattan. You have any idea what the congestion is going to be like in New York City here?
'I get off my radio show at 3 o'clock. I've been instructed that I got to go straight to the Garden for an 8:30 game. Because that's how bad traffic is going to be.'
Smith continued his rant against the President's decision by saying that if the Knicks lose tonight and break their 13-game winning streak, that Trump is the one to blame.
'Anything that disrupts it, if it causes the New York Knicks to lose, I'm blaming him. I'm blaming the president of the United States. I'mma stay on that. I'mma stay on that.'
Game 4, which Trump is not attending, is held on Wednesday night and if the Knicks win on Monday, they will be playing for the championship.
Daily Mail
