President Donald Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag followed him on the screens, and fans cheered when New York Knicks players were shown.

Security Measures

The security measures in place for Trump’s visit created major hassles for fans. Thousands of fans missed the start of the game due to lengthy security lines. The New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden, and fans were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints.

Trump was watching the game from Knicks owner James Dolan’s suite, along with his granddaughter Kai, personal adviser Boris Epshteyn, and Cabinet secretaries Lee Zeldin, Sean Duffy, and Doug Burgum. He is the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game.

Reaction from Fans and Players

Knicks coach Mike Brown and Spurs counterpart Mitch Johnson downplayed any concept of being inconvenienced by the closures and enhanced security because of Trump. ‘There’s a lot going on, and I’d much rather be a part of it than not,’ Johnson said.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson said, ‘Cool, I guess. We can still get out there and play (no matter) who’s here and who’s not.’ Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, a New York native, said, ‘We improvise. We’re New Yorkers. We’re going to find a way to watch a game, and that’s what we’re doing.’

Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.