"This is unbelievable" - Donald Trump shouts out Knicks' James Dolan for iconic Madison Square Garden during rally in NYC

James Dolan is the Chief Executive Officer of Madison Square Garden and oversees day-to-day operations of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. The Knicks and Rangers each play their home games at the historic Madison Square Garden.

United States Presidential candidate Donald Trump held his New York City rally at Madison Square Garden and made sure to shout out the venue's CEO during the rally.

"I also want to thank (James Dolan) and everyone at Madison Square Garden. This is unbelievable. I've watched the Knicks and Rangers here, and what a location."

Knicks fans were less than pleased to hear Trump was holding a rally at Madison Square Garden but should not be surprised. The venue's CEO has a history of donating to both Republicans and Democrats but has not expressed his political views.

This could be an awkward situation for some Knicks players, as several of New York's players have publicaly spoken out against Donald Trump. Back in 2020, Josh Hart called Trump out in a post to X (formerly Twitter), labeling the presidential candidate a "racist."

Knicks win in home opener at Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks claimed their first win of the season in front of their home crowd at Madison Square Garden on Friday. The Knicks took down a familiar foe in the Indiana Pacers, who topped New York in seven games in last year's playoffs to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

Four Knicks scored 20-plus points, but the charge was led by Jalen Brunson, who finished with a team-high 26 points on 10 of 19 shooting, adding five rebounds and five assists. Karl Anthony-Towns showed out in his Madison Square Garden regular season debut, posting a 21-point, 15-rebound double-double in his second game in a Knicks uniform.

Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges combined for 41 points on 16 of 27 shooting as a tandem. Hart finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double effort, while Bridges added 21 points and five assists. New York will be back at home on Monday night for the second leg of their back-to-back.