Jalen Brunson is not ready to say whether the New York Knicks will visit President Donald Trump at the White House.
More than a month after Knicks owner James Dolan announced that the organization had accepted an invitation, Brunson told Variety that the reigning NBA champions still have not discussed the potential visit as a team.
“That’s something that we actually haven’t discussed as a team,” Brunson said in the interview published Monday. “And so obviously, people are making assumptions and saying everything, but together we haven’t discussed it yet. And so we’ll cross our bridge when we get to it.”
Brunson’s comments reinforced the distinction between the organization accepting the invitation and the players deciding whether they will participate.
When Variety informed Brunson that the Knicks would become the first NBA champions to visit Trump’s White House, the NBA Finals MVP paused before responding.
“Interesting … Interesting,” Brunson said.
Knicks Still Haven’t Made Team Decision
Brunson gave a nearly identical answer in a June interview with New York magazine’s Intelligencer, saying the Knicks had not discussed the invitation and would address it together.
Nearly a month later, that conversation apparently still has not occurred.
Brunson again declined to offer his personal opinion or speculate about which teammates would make the trip. His insistence on a team discussion is consistent with the collective approach he has taken as the Knicks’ captain, but it also leaves a politically sensitive question hanging over their championship offseason.
Dolan publicly moved ahead with the invitation in June, shortly after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to capture their first NBA championship since 1973.
“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted,” Dolan told WFAN on June 17. “We still have to figure out the details.”
The White House confirmed that discussions with the franchise had begun but said no date had been finalized.
“We have been in touch with the Knicks and look forward to hosting the team at a date to be determined in the near future,” a White House spokesperson told The Athletic at the time.
Dolan Has Longstanding Friendship With Trump
Getty President Donald Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden as a guest of Knicks owner James Dolan, who later accepted a White House invitation for the champions.
Dolan has known Trump for approximately three decades and has publicly described the president as a friend.
“He is a friend,” Dolan told WFAN. “I’ve known him for 30 years. And I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden as Dolan’s guest. The Knicks lost that night before winning the next two games to complete their historic championship run.
No NBA champion visited the White House during Trump’s first presidential term. The Boston Celtics were the last NBA team honored there, meeting with President Joe Biden in November 2024 after winning the championship.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the 2025 title, did not meet with Trump. The organization said a timing issue prevented a visit when the team traveled to Washington during the 2025-26 season.
That history would place the Knicks in unfamiliar territory if they ultimately accept the invitation as a full team.
Dolan has spoken as though the champions are going. Brunson, however, continues to emphasize that the players have not made that decision.
For all the public assumptions, the Knicks’ most influential voice says the conversation has yet to begin.
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