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Donald Trump and the Knicks have something in common: both were born in New York in June of 1946, and both have won the big one twice.
Trump, twice elected to the presidency, will see the two-time champion Knicks in person on Monday night at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, with the franchise seeking to move one giant step closer to its first title in 53 years.
Trump recently told reporters that Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were two of his favorite players on the team, but some are still skeptical of his Knicks fandom.
Here's what you need to know about Trump's history with the Knicks.
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Is Donald Trump a Knicks fan?
Trump indeed appears to be a lifelong Knicks fan. Not only did he tweet about Jeremy Lin during the guard's "Linsanity" run in 2012, but he has attended plenty of games at Madison Square Garden over the years.
@JLin7 is a special player. He makes watching the Knicks fun. I think he can lead the Knicks far this season. https://t.co/yMg6pWWC @JLin7
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2012Based on Getty Images photos, Trump has attended at least 21 NBA games since 1991. 14 of those games involved the Knicks, while games in either New Jersey or Los Angeles comprised six of the remaining seven.
"I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time," Trump said aboard Air Force One after New York's Game 1 win over the Spurs. "I watched that end of the game and they were dominant. Really amazing."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who has pushed back on Trump in the past, told reporters the president is a Knicks fan.
"Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan," Silver said. "I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days."
According to ABC News, Trump also served as a real estate advisor to Knicks ownership in 1975, when the team was looking to sell Madison Square Garden.
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Where is Donald Trump from?
Trump was born in Queens and lived in New York for most of his life before moving his official residency to Florida during his first presidential term.
Trump grew up in Queens and attended Fordham University in the Bronx before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, Trump moved back to New York.
Donald Trump's history at NBA games
There is record of Trump attending at least 21 NBA games, including 14 Knicks games:
March 5, 1991: Suns vs. Knicks
Trump watched the Knicks lose to a Suns team that would win 55 games, attending the March 5, 1991 contest with actor Elliott Gould. Patrick Ewing put up 36 points and 11 rebounds for New York, but it wasn't enough in a 107-102 defeat:
1993: Unknown game
Trump was pictured attending a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden with then-wife Marla Maples in 1993, but the exact date of the game isn't known.
May 12, 1997:
Trump brought son Eric to Game 4 of the Knicks' second round series against the Heat in 1997, taking in an 89-76 win that gave New York a 3-1 series lead. That would be the Knicks' last win of the series, as Miami won each of the final three games to advance.
March 12, 1999: Knicks vs. Bulls
Trump and then-girlfriend Melania Knauss went on the road to watch the Knicks play against the Bulls in Chicago during the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. It was a great year for the Eastern Conference-winning Knicks and not such a great one for the Bulls after Michael Jordan's retirement, but Chicago held New York to just 63 points in this contest.
MORE: Why Karl-Anthony Towns' movie cameo is getting credit for Knicks' win streak
March 30, 1999: Pacers vs. Knicks
Less than three weeks later, Trump saw the Knicks earn a narrow win over the rival Pacers while attending the game alongside John F. Kennedy Jr. at MSG.
Trump in 1999 with JFK Jr. at a Pacers-Knicks game. https://t.co/8sh8ZfcWcf pic.twitter.com/7DTIr7JJmx
— 🐿️ 🦝 🦆Arizona Tony 🇺🇸⚾️🏈🏒 (@Cardinalfan9633) May 27, 2026June 1, 1999: Pacers vs. Knicks
Trump saw the Knicks and Pacers face off again in the Eastern Conference Finals, watching New York's first loss of a series that would ultimately send the Knicks to the NBA Finals.
June 12, 2002: Lakers vs. Nets (NBA Finals Game 4)
In nearby New Jersey, Trump sprung for a ticket to Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Finals between the Nets and Lakers. If he stayed the entire time, Trump watched Kobe Bryant and the Lakers celebrate a three-peat as they completed a sweep of the Nets.
Jan. 29, 2003: Wizards vs. Nets
Trump gave the Nets another chance on Jan. 29, 2003, and they rewarded him with an 86-78 win over the Wizards with Richard Jefferson's 24 points leading the way.
2003 NBA Draft
While not a game, Trump attended the 2003 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden's theater. That means Trump was in the room when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade were drafted.
Jan. 12, 2004: Cavaliers vs. Lakers
Out in Los Angeles, Trump saw the first meeting between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant when the Cavaliers met the Lakers on Jan. 12, 2004. It was a piece of history, but the game itself wasn't what many hoped it would be. James shot just 6-of-20 in a loss, while Kobe Bryant exited in the first half with a shoulder injury.
MORE: How Karl-Anthony Towns became Finals MVP frontrunner with big Game 2
Jan. 13, 2005: Cavaliers vs. Lakers
Trump tried to see James and Bryant face off again in 2005, but Bryant exited after only six minutes with an ankle injury. James, meanwhile, put on a show in Los Angeles with 28 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a tough loss.
March 15, 2005: Heat vs. Knicks
Trump saw the Knicks lose a close one against the Heat at Madison Square Garden late in the 2004-05 season.
Nov. 4, 2005: Wizards vs. Knicks
Trump was courtside with Howard Stern when the Knicks dropped their second consecutive game to open the 2004-05 season.
Dec. 25, 2005: Lakers vs. Heat
Trump was a guest of Heat owner Mickey Arison for a Christmas Day showdown between Miami and the Lakers in South Florida in 2005. In his second season with the Heat, Shaquille O'Neal got the better of former teammate Kobe Bryant in this holiday matchup.
Jan. 11, 2006: Mavericks vs. Knicks
Trump saw an exciting overtime upset of the eventual Western Conference-champion Dallas Mavericks, with Stephon Marbury's 28 points leading the Knicks to a 117-115 win in an otherwise difficult season.
Jan. 30, 2007:
Kobe Bryant was suspended for a 2007 game between the Lakers and Knicks attended by Trump and his son, Eric, and New York took advantage with a win in front of the former president.
April 26, 2007: Suns vs. Lakers
Trump saw Bryant drop 45 points on the Suns in a first round playoff game against the Suns in Los Angeles as the Lakers cut their series deficit to 2-1. It would, however, be the Lakers' only win of the series.
Oct. 31, 2007: Bulls vs. Nets
Trump's most recent Nets game came back in 2007, when he spent Halloween watching Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter lead New Jersey to a season-opening win over the Bulls.
MORE: Where Knicks winning streak ranks in NBA history
Dec. 15, 2010: Celtics vs. Knicks
Despite Amar'e Stoudemire's 39 points, Trump saw the Knicks fall to the East-leading Celtics in an early-season 2010 matchup at MSG.
March 21, 2011: Celtics vs. Knicks
A newly-acquired Carmelo Anthony took his shot at the Celtics in a March 2011 game attended by Trump, but the result was the same with New York falling 96-86 at home to drop to .500.
March 26, 2012: Bucks vs. Knicks
Jeremy Lin was out due to injury, but the Knicks climbed back to .500 when the Knicks defeated the Bucks with Trump and friend Darryl Strawberry in attendance at MSG.
Nov. 30, 2014: Heat vs. Knicks
Trump's most recent appearance at a Knicks game came less than seven months before he announced his first presidential run. New York fell to the Heat in the early-season matchup, and it's no surprise the future president didn't want to go back in what became the worst season in Knicks history (until it was matched four years later, at least).
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