Knicks, Spurs players react as President Trump’s Game 3 visit to MSG brings tighter security

U.S.President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.(Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Players such as Spurs guard De�OG Anunobydon’t sound nearly as excited.

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SECRET SERVICE, TSA AND NYPD TRANSFORM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN INTO FORTRESS FOR TRUMP’S NBA FINALS VISIT

“I think thepresident being here just makesit inconvenient on everybody else,�“We got, obviously, more security.We gotta send stuff early.I think our buses are a little earlier.”

“We’re getting screened like it’s TSA,�“It’s a little inconvenient for the people that got to play, but it is what it is.”

Fans attending Game 3 will also undergo additional security screenings due to Trump’s appearance.

Meanwhile, with Trump set to celebrate his 80th birthday later this week, Anunoby was asked about thepresident’s expected appearance at Game 3.

Read More → Secret Service, TSA and NYPD transform Madison Square Garden into fortress for Trump’s NBA Finals visit

“He’ll just be there watching the game.We’re going to go as usual, play our game, try to win the game,” Anunoby said matter-of-factly.

Given how polarizing Trump remains, attention quickly turned to which NBA players mightpublicly support his attendance.Others have argued that the president’s presence should be treated as an honor.

Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama also became a topic of discussion after standing with hisarms folded during the national anthembefore Game 1.Trump, however, had no criticism when asked about the moment.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama and guard De�(Eric Gay/AP Photo)

“Wemby’s a great player,” Trump said.“I say, ‘How do you guard this guy?’”

While Hart has not publicly commented on Trump’s attendance, Knicks guard Josh Hart is among the more outspoken players participating in the Finals.Hart posted a tweet about Trump in November 2020 that read, “YESSIR!!!!GET TRUMP’S DUMBA** OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!”

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The Knicks enter Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead, and history is firmly on their side: teams that take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals go on to win the championship nearly 87% of the time.

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Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California.