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‘You’d think Trump would be rooting for the Spurs,’ Kimmel quipped
Caitlin Hornik in New York Saturday 06 June 2026 18:53 BST- Bookmark
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Jimmy Kimmel thinks he knows why Donald Trump wants to attend the NBA Finals in New York City.
Trump, 79, announced his intention to attend Monday night’s NBA Finals game as the New York Knicks take on the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are up 2-0 in the series and are just two victories away from their first championship win since 1973.
During his Friday night broadcast, Kimmel, 58, hit out at Trump’s planned attendance at the game. “The president wants to be there to support his hometown team, and, if necessary, to overturn the results of the game,” he quipped, referring to Trump’s repeated calls to overturn the 2020 election results after Joe Biden was declared winner.
He then added: “You’d think Trump would be rooting for the Spurs. It’s what got him out of Vietnam.”
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
Jimmy Kimmel jabbed at Trump’s planned attendance of Monday night’s NBA Finals game (Getty)Kimmel’s latest jab comes just weeks after he criticized the president for skipping his son Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding.
Trump Jr. married Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in a ceremony held on a private island in the Bahamas in late May, with his siblings Ivanka, Eric and Tiffany Trump all in attendance.
The president confirmed on Truth Social that “circumstances pertaining to Government,” and his “love for the United States of America,” prevented him from attending the nuptials.
On the May 26 edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host explained in his monologue: “It was a small ceremony with about 40 guests, none of whom were his father. Daddy Donald sent his RSVP via Truth Social.”
Kimmel then showed Trump’s social post to the audience, which concluded: “I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time. Congratulations to Don and Bettina!”
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“See, he can be warm when he wants to,” Kimmel replied. “He loves Don Jr. He just loves the United States more. He had circumstances pertaining to government to get to. And also flying to a private island makes him miss his friend Jeffrey, who he lost.”
Kimmel was, of course, referring to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein’s crimes, and has previously said that their relationship ended decades ago.
He continued: “This is a guy who golfs two, three times a week. He’s going to UFC fights with Vanilla Ice. He was too busy for his son’s wedding. But he did say Don and Bettina are going to have a great marriage. And this is a man who knows a great marriage. He’s had three of them himself. Poor Don Jr. Without his father, they had to scramble to find somebody else to make a 90-minute toast about windmills and transgender weightlifters.”
Kimmel noted that Trump Jr. and his new wife are still reportedly planning a White House celebration for their wedding — one that the president and his wife, Melania Trump, are expected to attend.
“Well, you’d hope so,” said Kimmel. “They live there. Can you imagine if they didn’t show up to that one too? ‘We wanted to make it, but we were unable to go downstairs.’”
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