NEW YORK - Donald Trump once sat courtside at New York Knicks games as a well-known figure without the security detail or the political controversies that have made him unpopular in his native city.

More than ten years after his previous visit to a Knicks contest at Madison Square Garden, the president is heading back to New York to root for the team in Game 3 of the NBA Finals versus the San Antonio Spurs on Monday evening. As a guest of owner James Dolan, he becomes the first sitting president to watch an NBA Finals game in person.

The Knicks aim for their initial title since 1973, when Trump was 26 and still building his real estate career. Two years later, the franchise's owners brought him on as an adviser during efforts to sell the arena.

Trump has visited more major sports events than prior presidents, from the Super Bowl and Daytona 500 to the Ryder Cup near New York, where crowds cheered him, and last year's U.S. Open tennis final in Queens, where he faced boos over security delays.

On June 14, as he reaches age 80 amid challenges like conflict with Iran, economic concerns and legal decisions limiting his plans, he will stage a UFC event at the White House. He has also shown interest in soccer's World Cup, which begins this week in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Though Trump enjoys many sports, his connection to the Knicks stands apart.

It reflects his identity as a New Yorker and recalls an earlier time when a prime seat at a Knicks game allowed him and other prominent names to mingle and be noticed.

In a city where many wealthy influencers rejected Trump's bold style and reputation from the 1990s and 2000s, the Garden's Celebrity Row remained a welcoming spot for him.

"I've been a Knick fan for a long time," Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office last week, shortly after New York secured Game 1. "I watched that end of the game and they were dominant - really amazing."

Following another victory on Friday in San Antonio, the Knicks return home ahead 2-0 in the series. They have captured 13 consecutive playoff contests and have not lost since April 23, bringing the city together in a manner not seen since the 1990s Finals appearances.

Trump reenters this Knicks moment not as the tabloid personality who sat near the late John F. Kennedy Jr. during a 1999 game, but as a president opposed by most of the city's Democratic residents.

Trump, who shifted his primary residence to Florida in 2019, is visiting New York City for the first time since addressing the United Nations in September.

Knicks supporters appear less focused on his politics and more worried that his presence and the surrounding attention might disrupt the team's rhythm.

"Why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing?" U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a dedicated Knicks follower and House Democratic leader, said to CNN. "Like, literally, the Knicks haven't been in the NBA finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We've embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself."

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who developed a friendly tie with Trump after their November meeting, offered a warmer welcome.

"We're excited to welcome anyone and everyone who's rooting for the Knicks in this moment," said Mamdani, who will attend the game separately from Trump.

Last week, as Trump floated plans to attend, New York magazine ran a piece titled "Is Trump Really a Knicks Fan? An Investigation." The article, complete with photos of Trump at games from 1991 to 2014, portrayed him as a classic example of a celebrity bandwagon supporter.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sees it differently.

"Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan," Silver told reporters last week. "I've been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days."

Trump and the Knicks both began in 1946.

His documented link to the team starts in 1975, when he served as a real estate consultant to the then-owners of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden during talks to sell the venue, which he branded in his style as "The World's Most Famous Arena."

Trump told reporters then that two groups of "Arab oil interests" might pay $50 million to $75 million. Arena leaders rejected the notion, calling such a deal impossible amid the ongoing Middle East oil crisis.

Trump was not widely known when the Knicks claimed their sole titles in 1970 and 1973.

By the 1990s resurgence, he was prominent, escorting then-wife Marla Maples to Game 3 of the 1994 NBA Finals and current wife Melania Trump to Game 2 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. He also appeared in the 1996 Knicks-themed film "Eddie" starring Whoopi Goldberg.

At that stage, Trump was viewed more as a larger-than-life character than a major force, recognized equally for his personal life and his developments.

Just as those Knicks fell short against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets along with David Robinson and the Spurs, Trump faced his own setbacks. His business interests faltered after casino troubles and the shutdown of Trump Shuttle.

Like the Knicks, Trump rebuilt and shifted direction toward reality television with NBC's "The Apprentice" and "Celebrity Apprentice," followed by politics. During a 2010 Knicks broadcast, he floated the idea of a presidential bid.

That year, while the Knicks tried to revive 1990s success, Trump made a video urging LeBron James to sign with the team.

"The real winners of the world want to be here," Trump told him.