Knicks tell fans to arrive at least two hours early for NBA finals Game 3 due to Trump’s attendance

The New York Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Monday night’s Game 3 of the NBA finals, which Donald Trump plans to attend.

The Knicks are encouraging fans to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures due to the president’s attendance.

The Knicks said on Saturday that a strict no-bag policy will be in place and that there will be airport-style “screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game, which is scheduled to start at 8.40pm local time.

Trump confirmed last week that he will attend the game between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, the first NBA finals game in New York City since 1999. He has already attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.

Trump is not expected to be the only prominent political figure at the Garden. New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has also said he plans to attend Monday’s game, though he suggested there is little chance he will cross paths with Trump.

“I will be in a very different section,” Mamdani said last week.

The mayor’s office said Mamdani would be paying his own way for a ticket. Trump, meanwhile, said he would be attending as Knicks owner Jim Dolan’s guest, setting up a finals scene that could feature two of New York’s most prominent political figures under one roof.

The game will take place amid a fevered atmosphere in New York as the Knicks attempt to win their first NBA title since 1973. They lead the Spurs 2-0 in the best-of-seven series and are on a 13-game winning streak.