Knicks accepted invitation to visit Trump at White House, Dolan says

The New York Knicks are readying to sojourn the White House, proprietor James Dolan said Wednesday, marking a archetypal for an NBA Finals victor during President Trump's clip successful office.

"We conscionable did person an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We inactive person to fig retired the details, et cetera," Dolan said successful an interrogation connected sports-talk vigor station WFAN. "Look, I invited the president to travel down for the game. He is simply a friend. I've known him for 30 years, and I'm precise arrogant to bring the squad to the White House."

The White House has not released immoderate accusation astir the timing of a imaginable sojourn by the Knicks. CBS News has reached retired to the White House for comment.

It's besides not wide which Knicks players are readying to question to the White House, oregon whether immoderate volition take to enactment home.

A longtime Knicks instrumentality and a idiosyncratic person of Dolan, the president traveled to Madison Square Garden to be Game 3 of the Finals past week. The Knicks mislaid that crippled to the San Antonio Spurs — their lone nonaccomplishment successful the bid — but won the pursuing two, clinching the Larry O'Brien Trophy successful San Antonio implicit the weekend. It was the Knicks' archetypal NBA title successful much than a half-century.

Mr. Trump praised the Knicks, Dolan and "superstar" constituent defender Jalen Brunson successful a Truth Social post soon aft their rubric win, calling it "maybe the top successful the past of basketball."

President Trump and New York Knicks proprietor James Dolan look connected during the archetypal 4th of the Knicks' 3rd NBA Finals crippled against the San Antonio Spurs astatine Madison Square Garden connected June 8. Al Bello / Getty Images

The Knicks are acceptable to beryllium the archetypal NBA Finals winners to sojourn the Trump White House. Last year's title Oklahoma City Thunder did not visit owed to a "timing" issue. 

During his archetypal word successful office, Mr. Trump uninvited the Finals-winning Golden State Warriors successful 2017 due to the fact that prima Steph Curry was "hesitating" astatine taking the president up connected the "great honor," and helium didn't widen an invitation erstwhile the Warriors won again the pursuing year. 

The 2019 Finals were won by the Canada-based Toronto Raptors, and the 2020 Finals — won by the Los Angeles Lakers — were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Mr. Trump had besides previously said helium wouldn't invite Lakers superstar LeBron James.)

Championship-winning teams from different sports person stopped by the White House, including the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles past year.