Donald Trump, James Dolan relationship: Knicks owner is major donor
Donald Trump, James Dolan relationship: Knicks owner is major donor
Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY Mon, June 8, 2026 at 3:26 PM UTC
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United States President Donald Trump isn't expected to show up uninvited to Game 3 of the NBA Finals. He'll be inside Madison Square Garden as the guest of New York Knicks owner James Dolan, and Trump made clear the two go way back.
"Well, I've been a Knick fan for a long time, and I'm also a Jim Dolan fan," Trump told reporters last week when asked about his plans to be in attendance when the Knicks host their first NBA Finals game since 1999 on Monday, June 8. "He's a nice guy, OK? He spent a long time wanting to win, and he's a competitive guy. He's got a team that's amazing.
"They're really great, a great team. I'm happy for Jim (Dolan) because Jim has really been fighting hard to produce such a team," Trump added.
So Trump will now become the first sitting U.S. president to attend an NBA Finals game, with extra security precautions that will affect some fans. He also raised the possibility of attending Game 4 as well thanks to his relationship with Dolan, who took over day-to-day operations of the team in 1999, two years after his father, former Cablevision founder Charles Dolan, bought it.
Here's more on the friendship between Dolan and Trump ahead of Trump's expected appearance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs:
TRUMP AT NBA FINALS: He trashes the NBA, so why attend Knicks-Spurs finals game?
James Dolan is a major Donald Trump donor
Dolan gave $125,000 to Trump's re-election campaign efforts, according to multiple reports, five days after his public spat with the then-NBA champion Golden State Warriors about whether Stephen Curry had declined an invite to the White House or Trump rescinded the invitation. He previously donated $300,000 to his 2016 election campaign, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
"Mr. Dolan is a long-time friend and supporter of President Trump," a Knicks spokesperson said at the time. "His contribution is a matter of public record, and was made by Mr. Dolan as a private citizen."
Dolan was also criticized in October 2024 when Trump held a rally at Madison Square Garden. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe controversially called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage" when he spoke before Trump. Arena reps noted that former President Joe Biden had previously held an event at Radio City Music Hall, which is also owned by Dolan.
"As a business we are neutral in political matters," a Madison Square Garden official said in a statement. "We rent to either side. We don't censor artists, performers or speakers."
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James Dolan is a Mar-A-Lago member
In addition to Trump's numerous public proclamations regarding his friendship with Dolan, the Knicks owner said previously he's a member at Trump's Mar-A-Lago club. Dolan held his wedding at there in 2002 and his son, Charles, did the same in 2017.
"I've known him for a long time. I got married at Mar-a-Lago. I'm a member of Mar-a-Lago, and I support him as a friend," Dolan told ESPN in 2018. "And you don't have to agree with everything that he's doing in order to support him. And he's, by the way, our president, and I don't understand people who wish our president to do badly. Why would you wish your president to do badly? It's like wishing that your milkman will bring you sour milk."
Trump is a longtime Knicks fan
NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed Trump's bonafides as a Knicks fan last week when asked about the President's potential attendance at Madison Square Garden.
"Donald Trump, before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan," Silver said. "I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days. He attended many of our drafts when they used to take place at Madison Square Garden."
Donald Trump attends the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Indiana Pacers at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
Silver noted he hopes Trump's appearance will "emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart. We're seeing that in New York and I think President Trump is very much a New Yorker, and I'm thrilled that yet another New Yorker wants to participate in the enthusiasm and the joy around this Knick team."
Dolan, Trump involved in Penn Station project
The Trump administration is reportedly involved in plans that, if approved, would lead to a massive renovation of Penn Station and moving Madison Square Garden from its current spot on top of the midtown Manhattan train station. The plan needs Dolan's approval and he initially declined interest in moving the arena.
The New York Post reported that Dolan and Trump had a meeting in April to discuss the Penn Station plans and the prospect of renaming Penn Station after Trump.
James Dolan, Rockettes controversy at Trump inauguration
Dolan, as Madison Square Garden executive chairman, also runs the Rockettes Christmas show out of Radio City Music Hall in New York. For Trump's first inauguration, Dolan agreed to have the Rockettes perform and the dancers endured social media backlash. They were not ultimately forced to perform.
"This is a great national event," Dolan said to the dancers, according to a recording leaked to Marie Claire magazine. "Every four years we put in a new president. It's a huge moment in the country's history. It usually signifies a whole change in how the government is going to run. The fact that we get to participate in it … we are an American brand, and I think it's very appropriate that the Rockettes dance in the inaugural and 4th of July and our country's great historical moments.
"A good portion of people voted for this person" Dolan added. "Hopefully they will like our brand. If 1% of 1% of them come to our show, we're going to do great."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump at NBA Finals: Knicks owner James Dolan is major donor
Source: “AOL Sports”
