NBA champion Knicks make a decision on visiting Donald Trump, White House

The New York Knicks are ready to for their close-up with President Donald J. Trump.

The newly minted NBA champion Knicks plan to visit President Trump at the White House, owner James Dolan revealed Wednesday during an appearance on WFAN in New York. Dolan said that the team had already received the invitation to visit, which they accepted.

“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” said Dolan, per Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. “We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course.

“He is a friend,” Dolan said of President Trump. “I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”

Trump notably has yet to host a single reigning NBA champion team during either of his two terms in office. The Golden State Warriors (2017 and 2018) and the Toronto Raptors (2019) both decided not to visit, and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) were unable to at the time due to COVID-19 protocols. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder (2025) also skipped out on a White House visit earlier this year due to a notable reason.

But Trump is indeed close friends with Dolan, and he even attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. as Dolan’s guest. Though Trump was booed heavily by the MSG crowd as the Knicks went on to lose to the San Antonio Spurs that game for the only time in the Finals, he will now finally be getting his visit from a defending NBA champion, courtesy of his friend and fellow New Yorker Dolan.