Talk about an airball.
With New Yorkers buzzing over the Knicks’ long-awaited return to the NBA Finals, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to head to New York to catch a game.
That prompted an attempted jab from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Instead, it turned into an unforced error.
Asked about Trump’s plans, Hochul questioned whether the president was a real Knicks fan.
“I’d ask him to name the starting lineup of the 1993 Championship team and see how he does,” the governor said.
There was just one problem.
The New York Knicks did not win an NBA championship in 1993.
That year, the NBA title was won by the Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan.
In fact, the Knicks’ most recent NBA championship came in 1973, when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The franchise has not won a title since.
The most charitable interpretation is that Hochul was referring to the 1993-94 Knicks team, which reached the NBA Finals before falling to the Houston Rockets in seven games.
But even that explanation leaves her celebrating a team that didn’t actually win a championship.
Watch the clip (and more reactions) below:
Reporter: "What do you say to President Trump saying he's a lifelong Knicks fan?"
Hochul: “I’d ask him to name the starting lineup of the 1993 Championship team and see how he does."
The last time the Knicks won a championship was 1973.pic.twitter.com/9kDmA2Iziq
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 27, 2026
Has Kathy Hochul ever drained a free throw with any Knicks players?
President @realDonaldTrump did, in a suit, alongside Jamal Crawford, Penny Hardaway, and Isiah Thomas.
(The Apprentice, Season 4, Episode 9 — 2005) https://t.co/MdSLzKGDtS pic.twitter.com/FkqwuoSYi7
— Bobby Levy (@realBobbyLevy) May 27, 2026
Asked about President Trump saying he’s a lifelong Knicks fan, NY governor Kathy Hochul says she’d like to hear Trump name the 1993 Knicks title team. Impossible to do. Jordan’s Bulls won the title in 1993 beating the Knicks in the eastern finals. pic.twitter.com/lUY0CQeSMb
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 27, 2026
🚨 Gov. Hochul tries to own Trump on Knicks fandom… and flops hard:
“I’d ask him to name the starting lineup of the 1993 Championship team”
Knicks last won a title in 1973. There was no 1993 championship.
Trump’s been a lifelong Knicks fan. Hochul is a fraud. pic.twitter.com/G2zTbvhTR1
— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) May 27, 2026
🚨 OMG. NY Gov. Kathy Kochul is being viciously mocked nationwide for pretending Donald Trump isn't a real Knicks fan, then making a FOOL of herself
"I'd ask him to name the starting lineup from 1993 championship team, see how HE does!"
Jordan's Bulls won in 1993, not the… pic.twitter.com/AH6QbTnToH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 27, 2026
