Director Spike Lee says he hopes the New York Knicks skip a White House visit with President Donald Trump, and he’s pushing back on reports that owner James Dolan is pressuring players to go anyway.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in June to win the 2026 NBA Finals, ending a 53-year championship drought for the franchise. Lee, a lifelong Knicks fan and longtime Trump critic, addressed the White House question in an interview with Variety’s Marlow Stern.
Stern told Lee that Dolan, described as a Trump associate, is reportedly trying to push the team into making the traditional championship visit even though players don’t want to go.
“He can’t force them!” Lee said. “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!”
Stern also brought up Trump’s attendance at Game 3 of the Finals at Madison Square Garden, an appearance arranged by Dolan. The Knicks had won 13 straight playoff games before that loss to the Spurs, and Stern suggested Trump’s presence broke the team’s momentum.
“That was not just an accident!” Lee responded.
Trump, a native New Yorker and longtime Knicks fan, was invited to the game by Dolan. After the Spurs won that contest, several New York figures, including “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, publicly blamed Trump’s attendance for the loss.
Not everyone agrees with Lee’s stance. Elizabeth Pipko, host of “Made in America with Elizabeth Pipko” and a former Republican National Committee national spokesperson, told Fox News Digital that no player should be forced into an appearance, but she argued Lee is missing a bigger point.
“You don’t have to agree with the president, you don’t even have to like him,” Pipko said. “But he is the President of the United States. And if you genuinely care about bringing Americans together, finding solutions, or improving the lives of people in your community, you have to be willing to sit down with people you disagree with.”
Pipko added that she sees the moment as a missed teaching opportunity for young people who look up to athletes and public figures.
“Spike Lee’s position puts political opposition ahead of an opportunity for dialogue, change, or opportunity,” she said. “Nothing gets accomplished by staying home, refusing to engage, and acting as though you’re somehow morally superior to people who disagree with you.”
Representatives for the Knicks and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
