After Donald Trump attended game three in the NBA Finals in 2026, there were no shortage of meme-able moments. And now, a lip reading expert believes that she knows what Trump might have said to Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan while he was in his private suite watching the game.
According to Daily Mail, lip reading expert NJ Hickling reportedly figured out what Trump and Dolan spoke about during a seemingly private conversation as they watched the game. And apparently, what Trump said has to do with the role he thinks he might play in handing out the trophy in the NBA Finals to the winning team. Sure, Jan.
The lip reading expert thinks Trump believes the Knicks will win the Finals.
James Dolan defends Donald Trump and says he did not fall asleep during Game 3 despite what it looked like:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 10, 2026
“Whatever you think about him, he’s a true Knicks fan. And he’s a great guy.” (@sny_knicks) pic.twitter.com/boFhxqXyQF
Per Daily Mail, Hickling said that Trump tells Dolan, “Why wouldn’t you accept our friendship, he’s loyal.” This is in reference to an unnamed person who is not present at the game with them, or at least in the clips that people have seen on social media. When Dolan says he is “pissed off” about the person, Trump then reportedly says, “Let me bring him next time, you have got it so wrong with him.”
Then, Trump apparently makes a reference to being the person to hand the NBA Finals trophy to the Knicks. Provided, of course, that Trump’s home team wins the most out of seven games, which is required to take home the massive win of the season.
“If you want me to come to the game on Wednesday, then he’s gotta be here,” Trump tells Dolan, according to Hickling and Daily Mail. “You gotta remember, I gotta pull with this. Maybe I could do the trophy, the trophy. This should be gold, don’t say no today. I’ll bet you a round of golf.”
If the lip reading is accurate, people have a lot to say about it. On a Reddit post about the lip reading between Trump and Dolan, one user commented, “Hahaha asking for an NBA trophy. The sad pathetic little piece of s–t.”
Another wrote, “Goddamn, sounds like there are talks about him coming back for game four and to be there for the trophy presentation.” Yeah, no one was really anxious to see Trump at another game in the Finals, and luckily, he did not attend game four.
Trump was not expected to attend all of the games in the NBA Finals.
In order for the Knicks to win the NBA Finals, they have to beat the Spurs in four out of seven games. As of game four, the Spurs were up by three games. That means the Knicks’ odds of winning are pretty slim, but not impossible.
Apparently, for Trump, that means since he is a Knicks fan and the president, he gets to present the team with the trophy, should they win the NBA Finals. But that’s not customary, and Trump has not even confirmed his presence at other games in the final seven. He created enough of a spectacle during game three, thank you very much.
He was seemingly booed at game three, though.
President Trump was booed loudly by fans inside Madison Square Garden when he was shown on video screens during the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2026
Trump was shown for several seconds giving a military salute. The boos ended when the U.S. flag… pic.twitter.com/MK105rgSDe
When Trump showed up at Madison Square Garden for game three, he was met with boos and some pushback from critics who would rather not have seen him there. But Trump definitely attended and, afterward, he told reporters that he thought his presence was well-received. I mean, if we could all have that kind of selective hearing and perception of how we are seen to others…
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