Trump draws thunderous boos at Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals game

President Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden as he became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals. Before the start of the game between the home team, the Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs in New York City on Monday night, Trump briefly appeared on the jumbotron and was met with "thunderous boos" as fans who made it to the event were already frustrated with the added security measures and traffic delays.

Trump was there to watch the New York Knicks take on the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the best-of-seven NBA finals. Outside the venue, Manhattan was crowded with fans of the Knicks decked out in orange and blue, many watching the game in the streets and at watch parties. Before the game, chants of "U-S-A! U-S-A!" echoed through the arena as Avery Wilson sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," but the cheers soon turned to boos as Trump appeared on the screens giving a military salute.

The catcalls were seemingly the culmination of the frustration of the ticketholders who waited for hours in lines that stretched over two blocks due to the intense security restrictions that came with the President's appearance, according to the BBC. Trump watched the game from Knicks owner James Dolan's suite, along with granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn, and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, and Doug Burgum. He sat next to Dolan for the first quarter, and in the second half, he was seen talking to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman.

Before Trump's arrival, the streets around Madison Square Garden were shut down as thousands of New York Police Department officers and hundreds of Secret Service officers were deployed. Metal barriers were put up, and fans faced an airport-style gauntlet of security. Trump, who had been at his New Jersey golf club earlier in the day, flew to downtown Manhattan by taking the Marine One helicopter and travelled via motorcade to the venue. On the roads, he was also welcomed with boos and signs protesting his policies and presidency. 

The boos weren't limited to Madison Square, as disgruntled Knicks fans and regular commuters who struggled to navigate to the watch parties also booed the President. Social media videos showed people in front of screens showing their disapproval of Trump when the camera focused on him. 

The Knicks, who have not won an NBA title since 1973, entered the game with a 2-0 lead in the series over the Spurs, but lost the game 111-115, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday night at the Garden. This isn't the first time that Trump caused a major disruption at a sporting event. Last year, thousands of fans missed the start of the U.S. Open men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as they had to go through similar security lines due to Trump's presence.  Because of the added measures, fans went through double security screening, once at the gates of Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and again in front of the steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Trump watched from a suite, according to AP.