January 1, Knicks Star Throws Cold Water on Owner’s White House Announcement

Wyatt’s Take

• Knicks owner James Dolan announced the team accepted a White House invitation — but star player Jalen Brunson says the team hasn’t even discussed it yet
• This would be the first NBA team to visit Trump in either of his presidential terms, despite the league’s history of left-wing political activism
• The disconnect between ownership and players reveals the ongoing culture clash in professional sports

New York Knicks owner James Dolan might have spoken too soon about his championship squad heading to the White House.

Days after the Knicks won their first NBA title in 53 years, Dolan publicly announced the team had “received an invitation from the White House, which we accepted.”

“Still have to figure out the details, but, yes, of course, I invited the president to come down to the game, right? He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House,”

Dolan said at the time.

But Knicks star Jalen Brunson is pumping the brakes on that announcement.

“That’s something that we actually haven’t discussed as a team,”

Brunson told Variety in a recent interview.

“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.”

The visit would mark historic territory. The Knicks would be the first NBA team to visit President Trump in either of his terms — a detail Brunson found “interesting.”

Trump attended the Knicks’ Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. It turned out to be the only loss for New York, who went on to win the NBA Finals in five games.

The relationship between Trump and the NBA has been complicated. In 2020, Trump criticized the league for being “highly political.”

NBA players were given the option to wear social justice messages on their jerseys, and numerous players knelt for the national anthem. During his trip to the Finals this year, Trump said basketball was “a little left-wing” but “great entertainment.”

Knicks star Josh Hart has been critical of Trump in the past, adding another layer of complexity to any potential White House visit.

The political drama isn’t new for Dolan. He got into a public feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the Finals over watch parties.

Dolan then appeared to take a shot at Mamdani during the team’s victory celebration at City Hall and deliberately avoided him in photo opportunities.

The Dolan-Mamdani tension dates back to the election cycle when Mamdani used the Knicks logo for his campaign. The team issued a cease-and-desist letter.

The White House later used the Knicks logo in a post after last year’s election to say, “Trump Is Your President.” The Knicks asked the White House to remove the post, which it did.

“The Knicks remain neutral on political matters,”

the team said in a statement at the time.

“We hope all our elected officials, whether current or recently elected, do a great job in office.”

The disconnect between what the owner announces and what the players know reveals an uncomfortable truth about modern professional sports. Teams want the prestige and tradition of White House visits, but many players remain hostile to conservative leadership.

Wyatt Matters

Championship teams visiting the White House used to be a nonpartisan celebration of American excellence. Now it’s become another battleground in the culture war, with wealthy athletes treating an invitation from the President as optional. Regular Americans who love their country and respect the office see this hesitation for what it is — another example of sports figures putting politics above patriotism.