Donald Trump has mocked fans who’ve been priced out of attending Monday, June 8’s NBA Finals, insisting they can just ‘watch it on television’ instead.
The President is expected to attend the Finals at Madison Square Garden, but he showed little concern for supporters unable to get a seat, despite the eye-watering costs.
When told that the entry price for Game 3 had crossed the $8,000 mark, Trump didn’t soften his stance, reiterating that fans who can’t afford it should simply follow along from home.
“It’s sort of semi-free to watch it on television. That’s the way life goes… If the team wasn’t a big success, tickets would go very easily… but that’s the way life is,” he told reporters.
Prices then climbed further. By Friday, SeatGeek listings showed the cheapest ticket already reaching $10,539.
Trump may not have offered much sympathy, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani struck a more diplomatic tone when asked earlier this year about the soaring cost of Knicks postseason tickets. He even jokingly pointed the finger at Trae Young, a longtime Knicks antagonist, during the first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, Young’s former team.
“I do wish, however, that all of these tickets were far more affordably priced,” he told the press back in April. “When the Knicks do well, you feel it across this whole city, and it’s not just for those who can afford to go to these games.”
Mamdani also referenced Trump’s planned appearance, noting: “I will be in a very different section of the stadium,” according to NBC4, before adding, “I think we look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have the chance to win that championship.”
Basketball isn’t the only sport where ticket prices have triggered backlash. Fans have also been fuming about the cost of seats for this summer’s biggest soccer spectacle, the FIFA World Cup.
With matches staged across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the tournament’s first game in New Jersey is set for June 13, when Brazil takes on Morocco.
And if $8,000 for an NBA seat sounds extreme, World Cup pricing has reportedly gone even higher, with some tickets selling for more than $13,000.
Even Trump acknowledged that figure is beyond what he’d spend, despite saying he’d like to attend.
“I did not know that number,” Trump told the New York Post earlier this year. “I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
He added: “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed, but, you know, at the same time, it’s an amazing success. I would like to be able to have the people that voted for me to be able to go.”