'A little selfish': Rapper Chuck D criticizes Trump's decision to attend NBA final at MSG

The pushback against President Donald Trump's presence at Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden is growing. On Monday, popular rap artist Chuck D took aim at Trump, calling him selfish for attending the event and compromising the game-day experience for local fans.

Due to strict security measures, outdoor watch parties near the Garden have been cancelled, and a strict "no-bag" policy has been enforced for ticket holders, who were asked to arrive at least two hours early. "So they had the watch party outside the Garden. They can't have it because the POTUS, instead of saying, 'I'm going to fall back because it is important that people are having a good time,' is a little selfish," Chuck D said in an interview. "Leadership has to be selfless at many times," he added.

The rap artist was not the only prominent figure unhappy with Trump's presence at the Garden. De’Aaron Fox, a guard for the Spurs playing in the game, called the situation an inconvenience. "I think the President being here just makes it inconvenient for everybody else," Fox said. "We're getting screened like it's TSA. It's a little inconvenient for the people that's got to play, but it is what it is."

For New Yorkers, the 2026 NBA Finals are a massive deal, as the Knicks have made it to the championship stage for the first time in 27 years. Trump, a lifelong resident of the city, has professed to be a long-time fan of the team. However, his political rivals do not share his enthusiasm. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, an avid Knicks fan, openly slammed the visit. "Why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing?" Jeffries said in a CNN interview. "Like, literally, the Knicks haven't been in the NBA Finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We've embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself." Popular sports analyst Stephen A. Smith has also questioned the President's presence at the game.

Speaking in an interview on ESPN, Smith said that Trump had "no business" being in New York City on the day of Game 3, calling his decision to attend "selfish, narcissistic, and ridiculous." Smith strongly raised concerns over the massive midtown gridlock that would be caused by the visit, pointing out that Madison Square Garden sits directly in the middle of Manhattan.

"If it causes the Knicks to lose tonight, I'm blaming him. I'm blaming the President of the United States," he joked. "I hope the GOP loses votes because of it if we lose tonight. I am going to be against them, all of them...I'm telling you that right now. We'd better not lose tonight's game," he added.