As the reigning NBA champions, the New York Knicks were invited to be the first team to visit the White House and meet with President Donald Trump.
Meeting the President of the United States at the White House had become a tradition in the NBA for many years.
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However, the league collectively decided against doing so when Donald Trump took office in 2017, and then again in 2025.
New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown told reporter Ian Begley that the team would work together and collectively make a decision about visiting the White House and meeting President Donald Trump.
Traditionally, NBA championship-winning teams visit the White House in August, two months after their title win, but well before the start of the NBA season.
But the Knicks did not do that, which made many fans assume that they had decided not to go to Washington, D.C., despite the invitation.
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Trump, of course, was in attendance for Game 3 of the Knicks’ NBA Finals matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
He attended after being invited by longtime friend and New York Knicks owner James Dolan. Unfortunately, it was the only game in the series that the Knicks ended up losing.
Following their championship win, Dolan had hinted that the Knicks would be attending the White House after being invited by Trump to revive the tradition.
However, it appears that this hasn’t been agreed to by the players and the rest of the staff. This decision could take some time.
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If the Knicks agree to go, they would be the first team to go to the White House while Donald Trump is President, and the first set of champions to go to the White House since the 2024 Boston Celtics.
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