Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals was literally unlike any other in league history.
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In addition to the New York Knicks playing in the championship round for the first time this century, President Donald Trump attended Monday’s game, becoming the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals matchup.
The combination of immense anticipation plus Trump’s presence created a unique atmosphere at Madison Square Garden. Fans who paid thousands of dollars for tickets waited in lines that stretched New York City streets to accommodate the security presence that Trump requires.
Players themselves were required to undergo extra security measures when arriving at the arena, but the Knicks — who lost for the first time in 46 days — say the added pomp and circumstance played no role in their performance.
“It is what it is. This is the NBA Finals,” New York head coach Mike Brown said about the heightened atmosphere. “There’s going to be a lot of distractions, and you’ve just got to, as best you can, block them out and go play the game.”
He added, in regards to the fans: “The energy around the city, the energy around the building, it’s off the charts. You love it.”
(Brown had much more to say about the game’s officiating, lamenting the fact the San Antonio Spurs shot so many more free throws in the second half via a monologue to start his postgame press conference.)
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns echoed his coach, saying the raucous home crowd “exceeded” his expectations.
When asked about the extra layers that came with playing in Monday’s game, Towns said that “nothing has to do with us stepping on that court and executing and being disciplined in our game plan and approach.”
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While the Knicks wouldn’t cop to any effect, the circus surrounding Game 3 was inescapable for anyone within the vicinity of Madison Square Garden.
Some media members lined up as early as 3 p.m. just to be in position for when the doors opened at 4:30. The area around the arena was a maze of barricades and makeshift walls, with security presence ranging from the NYPD to the secret service controlling the flow of pedestrians. Even people who said they lived nearby were turned away from certain streets and told to find alternate routes.
One concession stand employee told NBC News that some of his coworkers needed upwards of two hours to make it inside the arena. Before the game, a photo hit social media of San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama being wanded by security before he could make his way to the locker room.
Whether it was for political reasons or because they were forced to wait in the June heat, most fans certainly made their feelings heard about Trump’s decision to attend, as the crowd booed the president loudly when he was shown on the Jumbotron during the national anthem.
And those boos didn’t come from a half-full lower bowl or sparsely populated upper deck.
To the credit of Knicks fans, they not only ended up bringing the energy despite the hurdles to do so, they did so promptly. Before tipoff, the arena was practically full, with the vast majority of the crowd taking their seats before the ball was put into play.
Asked about his emotions moments before tip and his own anticipation for the city’s first Finals game in over a quarter-century, Knicks star Jalen Brunson said: “I was locked in and ready to go.”
The same could be said for the starved New York faithful, who managed to overcome the logistical hurdles to provide an incredibly loud crowd for much of the night.
Said Towns, though: “We didn’t do our job to give them something to cheer for [during] the game.”
