New York Knicks All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns is seemingly on the ‘sports bring everyone together’ side of the fence regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday.
Unlike a lot of fans who plan to boo Trump, Towns believes it’s a positive that the POTUS — a lifelong Knicks fan — wants to be involved in the revelry expected if the Knicks capture their first NBA championship in 53 years.
“I mean, we gotta be desperate for the fans, who have earned the right and deserved the right to see Finals basketball be played here in Madison Square Garden,” Towns told reporters on Sunday when informed that Trump was set to become the first sitting U.S. President to attend an NBA Finals game.
Knicks Instill ‘Hope’ in Fanbase
Towns added that he and his teammates are determined to “bring” championship-caliber basketball to the success-starved Knicks fanbase.
“It’s up to us to give them something to cheer for, and also something to believe in,” Towns said of the Knicks fanbase.
“Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word.
“But the word success hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time, so we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition,” added Towns, acknowledging that his Knicks were two more wins away from feeling a sense of accomplishment.
NBA Welcomes Donald Trump
Some Knicks fans could boo Trump, but the NBA and the Knicks organization plan to lay out the red carpet for the POTUS on Monday. Last week, commissioner Adam Silver spoke at length about Trump’s past association with the NBA, which includes appearing in promotional materials in the 1990s.
“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said of Trump, validating his credentials as a Knicks fan.
“I’ve been with the league for a long time. 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, and he actually appeared in one of our ‘I love this Game’ spots when I was running NBA Entertainment years ago.”
“I think sports in particular is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver continued.
“It creates a sense of belonging. 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.”
Trump told reporters last week that he could also attend Game 4 — especially if the Knicks could find themselves a position to sweep the San Antonio Spurs.
That could very well happen. The Knicks, on a 13-game winning streak, haven’t lost a game at home since April 20 and could foreseeably beat the Spurs on Monday and Wednesday to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Karl-Anthony Towns and Co. enter Game 3 as slight 1.5-point betting favorites.
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