Donald Trump given hostile reception as New York crowd boos and jeers president at NBA finals

Donald Trump salutes during the national anthem at the NBA finals. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen Donald Trump salutes during the national anthem at the NBA finals. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump given hostile reception as New York crowd boos and jeers president at NBA finals President attends Spurs v Knicks game at MSG Knicks aiming to win first title since 1973 Donald Trump was loudly booed when he was shown on the video screens at Madison Square Garden on Monday night before Game 3 of the NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. Trump was shown on the jumbotron while the Star-Spangled Banner was being sung before the game, and jeers and boos broke out around the arena . The president, with his granddaughter Kai behind him, was shown for a little over eight seconds and held a salute the whole time with a smile on his face. A few seconds later, the video board showed Knicks players in line and the boos turned to cheers. The US president, a longtime Knicks fan, attended as the guest of team owner James Dolan as New York hosted their first NBA finals game since 1999. Trump entered the arena amid a heavy security presence. He watched the game from the owner’s box above center court, while Secret Service personnel commandeered the neighboring suites on either side. The world heard JD Vance being booed at the Olympics. Except for viewers in the US | Bryan Armen Graham Read more Trump’s appearance added another layer of spectacle to a city already in the thrall of basketball fever . The Knicks entered the night carrying a 2-0 series lead over the Spurs and seeking to move within one victory of their first championship since 1973. Hours before tipoff, fans encountered heightened security around Madison Square Garden. A 10-foot perimeter fence surrounded the arena, ticket holders were advised to arrive at least two hours early and the team implemented a strict no-bag policy. By midday, dozens of fans were already queueing to pass through metal detectors manned by Secret Service agents to access the team store. “He could have picked any other day. This night is for the fans,” said Joanne Cadden, 53, a Knicks supporter from the Bronx who has followed the team since the early 1990s. “You’re making people go away from the Garden. This wasn’t the time.” Gesturing toward the fencing and checkpoints surrounding the arena, Cadden added: “This looks like prison.” Not every fan objected to Trump’s attendance, but many said it had altered the atmosphere around one of the biggest nights in the team’s history. Rich Becker, a 54-year-old Knicks fan from Queens who came to Midtown despite not having a ticket, said the president’s visit had changed the feel of the day, including the cancellation of the outdoor watch party that had drawn thousands of fans outside the Garden during earlier playoff games. “It changed everything,” Becker said. “Should he be here? I don’t think he should, but he’s co