WASHINGTON — President Trump told The Post Wednesday that the New York Knicks are “ready” to get back to winning ways against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals — and he shared fans’ outrage that no foul was called on the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama for shoving Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson in the head during Game 3.
“I thought it was a very bad call. Absolutely. I thought it was a very bad call, personally. But I’m not the ref, you know?” Trump told The Post in a phone interview.
The 79-year-old became the first sitting president to attend a NBA Finals game Monday night, where he watched the Spurs defeat his hometown team, 115-111, from Madison Sqaure Garden boss James Dolan’s box.
President Donald Trump called it a bad call. AP Photo/Mark SchiefelbeinThe lasting image from the game is Wembanyama’s aggressive shove on Brunson after the New York point guard attempted to set a screen on the 7-foot-4 Frenchman.
No foul was called on the play and league officials opted against retroactively upgrading the penalty to a flagrant foul on the Spurs star.
The Knicks still lead the best-of-seven series two games to one.
The NBA ruled the foul by Victor Wembanyama was not flagrant. ABC“Look, they’re pretty evenly matched, right? It’s two great teams. I’ll tell you, that Brunson is some player,” Trump said ahead of Game 4.
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“I think Brunson is amazing, [Stephon] Castle [of the Spurs] is amazing, Wemby is amazing, [Karl-Anthony] Towns [of the Knicks] is amazing. They’re like great players. That’s why they’re there, right?” he went on.
The Knicks, in their first Finals appearance since 1999, are two wins from clinching their first NBA championship since 1973.
“If you grow up in New York, you’re a Knick fan,” explained Trump, who frequented the Garden’s Celebrity Row before entering politics, “and I, you know, happen to think the owner’s terrific. In fact, I’ll write him up.”
Trump then instructed an aide to send a note to Dolan, reading: “Jim, good luck tonight. I’ll be rooting for you all the way. The team is ready.”
