The New York Knicks' most famous fan is urging the team to skip a White House visit.
Spike Lee told Variety in an interview published Monday that he hopes the Knicks decline an invitation to celebrate their 2026 NBA championship
with President Donald Trump amid reports of disagreement within the organization over a potential visit. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said last week that owner James Dolan was unhappy with players over their apparent reluctance to make the trip.Dolan is a major Trump donor and longtime friend who hosted the U.S. President in his suite at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
"He can’t force them!" Lee said when asked about the apparent rift between Dolan and
the players over a potential White House visit. "It’s been years since the last NBA team has gone. They’re not going. I hope they don’t go! I hope they don’t go."
Dolan notably gave $125,000 to Trump's re-election campaign efforts in 2017, according to multiple reports, five days after Trump's 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then-NBA champion Golden State Warriors about whether Stephen Curry had declined an invite to the White House or Trump rescinded the invitation. No NBA champion has visited the White House during either of Trump's terms in office as U.S. President.
The Oklahoma City Thunder did not visit the White House last year following their 2025 NBA title due to a "timing issue." The 2024 champion Boston Celtics, meanwhile, did visit former President Joe Biden at the White House to celebrate their title in November 2024. The Denver Nuggets did not celebrate at the White House due to scheduling issues on Biden's end, while the Milwaukee Bucks and Warriors each had customary White House visits under the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022.
Prior to the Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers had been the last team to visit the White House in 2016 when former President Barack Obama was still in office.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson previously said in July the team had not yet discussed whether to celebrate their title at the White House and pushed back on assumptions that a decision had already been made. His comments came after Dolan had said in a radio interview that the franchise had already accepted an invitation to visit the White House.
Lee told Variety that many New York Yankees fans disagreed with former owner George Steinbrenner's Republican politics, but argued Steinbrenner never brought politicians to the games. Lee believes Trump's attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals may have disrupted the Knicks' momentum. The game was New York's lone loss of the series.
"That was not just an accident!" Lee said.
Lee also suggested Dolan picked Ben Stiller over him, to produce a documentary that Stiller was seen filming from his courtside seats during the Knicks' NBA Finals run.
"It was Dolan. Dolan gave it to him," Lee said. "Look, it’s his team, he can do what he wants to do. Coulda woulda, but it’s his team. He also wants his team to go to the White House, too."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spike Lee hopes Knicks skip Trump White House visit despite Dolan's wishes
