Lipreader 'reveals' Donald Trump's secret chat after being booed at Knicks game
A forensic lipreader has revealed what Donald Trump told James Dolan after he was booed at Madison Square Garden yesterday.
The US president, 79, was in attendance for Game 3 of the Knicks' title run in against San Antonio Spurs.
Nicola Hickling, a profoundly deaf lip reading professional, has reviewed footage of Trump after he appeared on the jumbotron during the singing of the national anthem by Broadway performer Avery Wilson.
From a private box, Trump smirked and saluted as fans were seemingly unhappy with his attendance.
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Hickling, as reported by the Daily Mail, suggested that Trump and the owner of Madison Square Garden were discussing an unknown person Doland had an issue with.
“Why wouldn't you accept our friendship, he's loyal,” Trump allegedly said to Dolan, who added: “I'm p**sed off at his name.”
“Oh that's not it. Let me bring him next time, you have got it so wrong with him,” Trump was said to have replied.
“I can bring him back to you, with confidence. I'm not just saying that, unless you want to put the feeler out.”
Trump, according to Hickling, then says that he will be in the stadium for the next game this week.
“If you want me to come to the game on Wednesday, then he's gotta be here,” he added.
“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 a golf.”
Despite the boos, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on ESPN that Trump was a welcome guest.
“I found out [Trump was going] because Jim Dolan invited him to the game and he said yes," Silver said. “He is welcome to be here.
“What I will say about President Trump is that he was a fixture at NBA, Madison Square Garden (in the past). A genuine Knicks fan.
“Yes, some inconvenience to fans but if you look around the arena, it is getting packed. People listened and got here early. We should be using sports to create more of a sense of community.”
On the night, the Knicks lost to the Spurs 115-111, leaving the series 2-1 ahead of Game 4.
If the Knicks had won, they would have been just one more win away from a title.
But because Spurs beat the Knicks, it means that the series will go to a fifth game, at least, which will be on Saturday night.
How did Donald Trump react to being booed at the NBA Finals?
Trump is the first sitting president to attend the NBA Finals, but didn't get the best reception from sports fans.
White House pool reporters said that Trump was booed 'thunderously' when he was shown on the jumbotron.
But, in characteristic fashion, Trump said what he was hearing was cheers.
He told press after the game: "It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic."
Then later on Truth Social, he shared a post from former FBI special agent Nicole Parker, which read: "NYC loves @realDonaldTrump."
Kai Trump, 19, who accompanied her grandfather to the game, wrote on Instagram after the game: "The atmosphere was amazing. Let's get that win on Wednesday. Go Knicks."
How do NBA Finals Work?
If you're not an avid follower of basketball, you might be wondering why the Knicks and the Spurs have to face off multiple times, and what it takes for a team to win the championship.
The end-of-season format starts with 16 teams - divided into an East and West conference - which have to face three rounds of playoffs. Ultimately, the winner of the Eastern Conference, in this case the Knicks, will face the winner of the Western Conference, the Spurs.
Every round uses a best-of-seven format, so the first team to win four games goes through to the next stage.
This is also the case for the final. Up until Monday, the Knicks had a 13-game winning streak. That's now been upset by the Spurs' victory.
No team in the NBA's history has ever lost the first two games of the finals and gone on to win the championship, so it will be an uphill battle.
For the Knicks to win overall, they'll need to come out on top in both game four tomorrow (June 10), which will again take place at MSG, and game five on Saturday (June 13) at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
If the Spurs won either game, there could be a further two games before the winner of the championship is decided.
Topics: US News, Donald Trump, Sport
Anish Vij