James Dolan Shuts Down Donald Trump’s Game 3 ‘Sleeping’ Allegations: “He Was Very Much Awake”

Donald Trump was seating beside James Dolan in the bulletproof glass covered luxury suite when he was caught napping.

James Dolan Shuts Down Donald Trump’s Game 3 ‘Sleeping’ Allegations: “He Was Very Much Awake”

Donald Trump and Knicks owner James Dolan (Image via FirstSportz)

The New York Knicks won 13 games in a row before Donald Trump arrived for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden to honor the invitation from franchise owner James Dolan.

The Knicks hand out invitations to a lot of celebrities and the who’s who of the country to attend their games. The list grows when the playoffs arrive, and this season, the vibe has been different.

After sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers and then the Cleveland Cavaliers, the billionaire felt confident in his team’s ability to hand out an invite to the most powerful man in the world.

Evidently, and knowing how Dolan has supported him throughout his two campaigns, the former real estate mogul agreed. He initially confirmed that he would attend both Games 3 and 4.

However, Trump faced a lot of criticism from different quarters after regular fans were being denied a chance to revel in the success of the city’s most important sports franchise.

But what blew the lid off everything the President wanted to achieve by arriving at Madison Square Garden was when he was captured napping with Game 3 in session.

I was with him the whole time. We were talking the whole time. He was very much awake, very much engaged… Whatever you think about him, he’s a Knicks fan. I think he’s a great guy. I’ve known him for over 30 years… Having him there was a great honor.

James Dolan revealed on The Carton Show

The 71-year-old made it clear that he and Donald Trump were chatting away the entire time. That was his way of saying that the videos of the ‘nap’ were untrue, and the President did not fall asleep.

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James Dolan claims canceled Knicks watch parties were not due to Donald Trump’s arrival

One of the reasons the likes of Stephen A. Smith and others criticized Donald Trump was that watch parties around Madison Square Garden were canceled.

Knicks watch parties were canceled
Knicks watch parties were canceled (Image via Complex Sports/IG)

That time, the Knicks did not officially announce it. Rather, it came from an NYPD statement obtained by FOX News. For Game 4, the franchise alleged that the Mayor’s office had canceled a watch party. When asked about these cancellations, James Dolan said this:

This is not really about a watch party… This is about celebrating the Knicks at MSG, the mecca of basketball. This is what the mayor’s office and the commissioner’s office is trying to kill. They don’t want the celebration.

Dolan replied

The New York native essentially pinned the blame on the Mayor and the NYPD. He wondered why they would cancel those parties, especially since the fights that broke out were at the Mayor’s watch party, which was away from the Garden.

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NYC Mayor slams James Dolan for claiming Knicks did not cancel watch parties

These claims from James Dolan were bound to create some political tension, and that is exactly what happened when New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani caught wind of those claims.

MSG requested a permit for a watch party for 500-999 fans. We approved that permit for 999 fans. Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on X

The Mayor made it clear that it was Dolan and the Knicks who decided to cancel the watch parties outside of the Garden, even though his office approved a permit.

It seems this back and forth between the Knicks owner and the city’s top brass is affecting the experience for the fans. The only difference is that the team is winning, and that may be able to stop these narratives from growing loud enough to distract them.

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