NBA commissioner welcomes Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of NBA Finals

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he welcomes President Donald Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Trump's attendance would mark the first time a setting president has gone to an NBA Finals game between the Knicks and Spurs. 

“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver said of Trump, according to the New York Times. “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.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is among the Democrats criticizing Trump for planning to go to the game.

"Stay away. Why does this guy always have to make everything about himself and ruin a good thing? After 27 years of being out of the NBA Finals, we’re now up 2-0. The city is in a frenzy," he said. "Everybody’s coming together, and somehow this guy has to parachute in with his divisive self."

Silver said he's thrilled that a sitting president will be at the game.

“I think sports in particular is something where we can emphasize what we have in common, not what pulls us apart,” Silver said. “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.”