Trump first sitting president to attend NBA Finals...

NEW YORK -- Donald Trump arrived at Madison Square Garden prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend a game in the basketball league's championship series. Trump's Marine One helicopter flew from his home in New Jersey and landed near Wall Street before his motorcade made its way up through Manhattan and to the arena roughly an hour before tipoff. He encountered a handful of people making rude gestures, and outside the area, one group held signs saying "Trump must go." He settled into a suite shortly afterward. Trump was invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, something NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted while talking to "Inside The NBA" before the game. [Trump is] welcome to be here," Silver said. "I think that what makes sports so special, especially when there's so much [that] divides people, is it's something that we have in common. And we should look for those things that we have in common and build off that. And I'll also say about President Trump, you know, I've been with the league for a long time. I ran NBA entertainment years ago. He did an "I Love This Game" spot with us. He was a fixture at NBA at Madison Square Garden. ... So he's a genuine Knicks fan." During the afternoon before Trump's arrival, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service set up a large perimeter surrounding Madison Square Garden. Fans lined up to get inside the arena more than four hours before tipoff, in a scene more closely resembling New Year's Eve in Times Square than the usual leadup to a basketball game. They were required to provide a ticket or pass to get past various checkpoints, along with passing through a Transportation Security Administration-style magnetometer. Secret Service personnel and police were positioned at every corner and in large numbers. Daily commuters, tourists visiting Manhattan and fans were all confounded at various times as they tried to maneuver the security. Silver acknowledged there were inconveniences for fans arriving to the game but noted that the arena was "packed." "So people listen," he said. "They came early. They got through whatever extra security which is necessary. So as I said, I think we should be using sports to create more of a sense of community with people, not less." 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. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries are also expected to be at the game. The Associated Press contributed to this report.