Knicks Fans Think Trump Cursed the Team. So They Burned Sage and Protested the Barricades Outside MSG

Jun 10, 2026 6:01pm PT Knicks Fans Think Trump Cursed the Team. So They Burned Sage and Protested the Barricades Outside MSG Antonio Ferme Latest Jodie Foster Says Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro ‘Couldn’t Stop Giggling’ While Teaching Her How to Unzip a Fly on ‘Taxi Driver’ Set: ‘They Were Just So Nervous’ 5 days ago Stephen Colbert Fans Explain Why They Believe CBS Canceled ‘The Late Show’: ‘It Was Politically Motivated’ 3 weeks ago Jack Johnson on How a Surfing Injury, Warning From Chris Rock and Deadly Shark Attack Shaped ‘SURFILMUSIC’ Documentary (EXCLUSIVE) 4 weeks ago See All At 3 p. m. on Wednesday, just hours before Game 4 of the Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals, several New Yorkers were spotted outside Madison Square Garden cleansing the air with copal and sage to manifest better luck for their hometown team. “We’re saging the Madison!” said Deisy, a woman dressed in a bohemian orange-and-blue ensemble (a nod to the Knicks’ signature colors) and accessorized with layers of necklaces and ceremonial ornaments. “We had really bad energy in this space on Monday. MAGA Mussolini was here — and we gotta get rid of that energy!” “MAGA Mussolini” is, of course, a reference to President Donald Trump, who became the first sitting U. S. president to attend the NBA Finals on Monday night. His appearance drew immediate backlash, with thousands of fans booing as he appeared on the Jumbotron during the National Anthem. Later in the night, videos circulated on social media appearing to show Trump dozing off while seated next to New York Knicks owner James Dolan and his granddaughter, Kai Trump. (White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the claims: “Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is either lying or has severe brain damage.”) Variety spoke to dozens of fervent Knicks fans and spectators in the perimeter of Madison Square Garden on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Game 4. After the team started the series with a 2-0 lead, and then losing Game 3, the Knicks hive is pointing fingers at Trump for bringing “bad voodoo,” “weird energy“ and “out-of-the-blue fights that weren’t happening before.“ As Impasse With DirecTV Continues, Scripps Directs Viewers to These 3 'Other Streaming and Cable Services' Michael Douglas, Willem Dafoe, Ellen Barkin and Homer Gere Join Oliver Stone's 'White Lies' “He’s a curse to every team that he picks,” said Avery, a Knicks fan decked out in an oversized gold chain and holding a sign that read: “F*ck Trump.