Nationwide — Filmmaker Spike Lee says that he hopes the New York Knicks will reject President Donald Trump’s invitation to celebrate their 2026 NBA championship at the White House. The longtime fan believes team owner James Dolan cannot force players to attend if they are uncomfortable with the visit.

Lee shared his thoughts during an interview with Variety, where he discussed the reported disagreements within the organization. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, ending a 53-year championship drought. However, the team’s historic win has also sparked questions about whether its players want to celebrate their achievement at the White House.

Dolan, who has a longstanding friendship with Trump, reportedly supports the visit and previously confirmed that he had accepted the invitation on the team’s behalf. However, some players have expressed reluctance about attending. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith also claimed that Dolan was unhappy with players who did not want to participate. Lee pushed back against the idea of forcing anyone to go, telling Variety, “He can’t force them!” He also said he hoped the Knicks would follow the example of other NBA teams that chose not to visit the White House.

The disagreement comes after Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in June. Dolan invited the president to watch the Knicks face the Spurs, but the home team lost that game, ending its 13-game playoff winning streak. It was also the Knicks’ only loss in the championship series, which they eventually won 4-1. When the interviewer suggested Trump’s appearance might have affected the team’s performance, Lee appeared to agree, responding, “That was not just an accident!”

Lee also addressed another disagreement involving Dolan. He discussed the decision to have actor Ben Stiller produce a documentary about the Knicks’ championship season rather than give him the opportunity. Stiller, who is also a longtime Knicks fan, was selected to work on the project with HBO, A24 and the NBA. Lee said Dolan made the decision and acknowledged that the team owner had the right to choose his preferred producer. However, he also brought up Dolan’s support for the White House visit, suggesting that the owner was more interested in that arrangement than giving him the documentary project.

Meanwhile, the Knicks’ possible White House appearance has drawn different reactions from other public figures. On The View, Whoopi Goldberg supported the idea of the players accepting Trump’s invitation, saying she wanted the Black athletes to stand together at the White House.