New York Knicks Still Undecided on White House Visit

The New York Knicks, fresh off their NBA championship victory, have not yet finalized a decision on whether to accept President Donald Trump's invitation to visit the White House.

Knicks coach Mike Brown stated that the team and organization are still internally discussing the matter. "Whatever we decide to do, we'll all do together," Brown said.

This comes several months after Knicks owner James Dolan publicly accepted Trump's invitation. Dolan, who has known Trump for 30 years, had expressed pride in bringing the team to the White House shortly after their June 17 championship win. Trump, a noted Knicks fan, attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, where he was shown on the jumbotron and met with some jeers from the crowd.

In the past, several NBA champions during the Trump administration did not visit the White House, including the Golden State Warriors (twice), the Toronto Raptors, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder cited a "timing issue" for their decision in a previous year. In 2018, the Warriors visited former President Barack Obama instead of Trump, and the year prior, Trump rescinded an invitation to the Warriors after player Stephen Curry expressed reluctance to attend.

Brown was an assistant coach for the Warriors during those championship runs.

Under President Biden, three of the four NBA champions have visited the White House. The Denver Nuggets' visit was postponed, and they did not ultimately attend.

The Knicks concluded their 53-year title drought by defeating the Spurs in five games. President Trump acknowledged the victory on Truth Social, congratulating Dolan and the Knicks, and highlighting players such as Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson.

The Knicks are currently on a road trip, with a scheduled game in Washington D.C. against the Wizards on December 18. They have a day off before the game and two days off before their subsequent game in New Orleans, suggesting scheduling conflicts may not be the primary obstacle.

Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post")