Donald Trump has been booed at a basketball match in New York as he became the first sitting US president to attend the NBA Finals.

The catcalls came after frustrated ticketholders waited for hours in queues that stretched more than two blocks outside Madison Square Garden on Monday due to the intense security restrictions that came with the US president’s appearance.

The New York Knicks lost 111-115 to the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the best-of-seven NBA finals, cutting the Knicks’ lead in the series to 2-1.

After the game, Trump told reporters: “It was, I think, mostly cheers. It was loud, and it was very enthusiastic.”

Booing broke out on Monday evening when a camera showed Trump on large screens in the arena, saluting as a singer performed the national anthem.

The president attended with his granddaughter Kai Trump and Knicks owner James Dolan, along with members of his administration that included Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The Republican president, who was born in the New York City borough of Queens, has had a difficult relationship with his heavily Democratic hometown.

Trump, who had been at his New Jersey golf club earlier in the day, flew to downtown Manhattan by taking the Marine One helicopter. He then travelled by motorcade to the venue.

Trump’s arrival meant the streets around Madison Square Garden were shut down to foot and vehicle traffic. Thousands of New York Police Department officers and hundreds of Secret Service officers were deployed.

Metal barriers were put up at each block as sports fans faced an airport-style gauntlet of security.

For bars in the area showing the finals game, this would normally be a lucrative night. But the barriers stopped foot traffic and left many pubs empty.

Disgruntled Knicks fans as well as regular commuters struggled to navigate the celebrations.

One New Yorker told the BBC the high security was “killing the vibe of the Knicks”.

This season has represented a stunning reversal of fortune for the Knicks, appearing in their first Finals since 1999 after decades as one of the worst teams in the league.

Celebrities including Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey, Christine Taylor, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet filled courtside seats.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was there.

Manhattan was crowded with fans of the Knicks decked out in orange and blue, many watching the game in the streets and at watch parties.

The streets around popular Bryant Park were filled as fans gathered at a community watch party after one outside Madison Square Garden, where the game is happening, was cancelled due to Trump’s appearance.

People ran up and down the streets near Bryant Park, celebrating and cheering every time the Knicks scored a point. As the game started, some fans could be seen climbing scaffolding attached to buildings. Others in the busy streets crowded around a laptop to watch the game.

One 44-year-old fan, who watched the game at Bryant Park, said he was 17 years old the last time the Knicks were in finals, when like this year, they played the San Antonio Spurs.

He said the disruption caused by Trump’s visit was “very annoying”.

But not everyone was angry at Trump.

Knicks fan Anthony Pulley, 43, told AFP news agency he found the disruption annoying, but he appreciated Trump coming to the game.

“I think it really put a damper on all the watch parties,” he said. “But it’s pretty cool he wants to show up and be a part of it.”

From the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center, skyscrapers were lit up orange and blue – the Knicks’ team colours.

On the last two game nights, throngs of supporters in Knicks gear took over streets near the arena – even though their team was playing at their opponents’ arena in Texas – leading to dozens of arrests as fans climbed lampposts, jumped on to food carts, and blocked traffic.

Many fans weren’t able to afford tickets to the first series home game, with the cheapest online resale tickets going for more than $10,000 (£7,500) and going up to more than $100,000.

Regular Knicks games already rank among the most expensive in the NBA.

Akeem Auguste, Jewel Andrew and Shamar Springer have been called up to West Indies’ T20I squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka in Jamaica.

From the group that featured at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Johnson Charles, Quentin Sampson and Jayden Seales drop out. Alzarri Joseph was not considered for the series as part of workload management plans.

Omar Artan, who was set to be the first Somali to referee at the World Cup finals, has been dropped from the list of officials after he was denied entry to the United States.

Artan, the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) men’s referee of the year, was barred from entering the country at Miami International Airport and is currently in Turkey.

No reason for Artan’s repatriation has been issued by US immigration authorities, but Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump’s administration.

After speaking to the US authorities, world governing body Fifa said Artan will miss the tournament.

“Fifa can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the Fifa World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States,” read a statement.

“Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Artan’s status will not be changed at present.

“In line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country.”

A senior adviser to Somalia’s ministry of youth and sports confirmed the denial of entry to the BBC and said Artan had been travelling with valid documents.

A Somali embassy official in Nairobi told the BBC that Artan’s diplomatic passport had been issued specifically to ease his travel after earlier visa difficulties.

The Somali Football Federation (SFF) has contacted Fifa seeking urgent clarification.

Speaking to BBC World Service, Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House Task Force on the World Cup, said: “While I can’t go into the derog [derogatory information] on that I can tell you it was the right decision by customs and border patrol and I support that decision.”

Artan was among the 52 referees announced by Fifa to officiate at the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States, which runs from 11 June to 19 July.

An official in the Somali national football league championships, Artan became a Fifa referee in 2018 and has officiated at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

[BBC]