New York, NY (May 28, 2026) — Gov. Kathy Hochul attempted to question President Donald Trump’s Knicks loyalty this week, but her own basketball history mistake quickly became the focus of criticism from fans.

The exchange came as attention builds around the possibility that Trump could attend an NBA Finals game involving the New York Knicks. Asked about the president potentially appearing at a championship matchup, Hochul tried to cast doubt on his knowledge of the team by challenging him to identify the starting lineup from what she described as the Knicks’ 1993 championship squad.

The remark immediately drew pushback because the Knicks did not win an NBA title in 1993. The franchise’s most recent championship came in 1973, when New York defeated the Los Angeles Lakers. The team also captured a title in 1970. In 1993, the Knicks were a strong Eastern Conference contender but did not reach the NBA Finals. They returned to the Finals the following year, in 1994, but lost to the Houston Rockets.

WATCH: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul suggests President Trump, who grew up in Queens, isn't really a New York Knicks fan and challenges him to name "the starting lineup of the 1993 championship team."

The Knicks did not make the NBA Finals in 1993 and were instead eliminated in the… pic.twitter.com/hHCfzOOWr1

— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) May 27, 2026

The governor’s comment quickly circulated among basketball fans and political observers, many of whom noted that the attempted jab at Trump’s Knicks credentials had instead highlighted her own error. The moment became another example of how sports references can create political trouble when the details are off.

Trump, a Queens native, has publicly embraced the Knicks’ postseason run, and the possibility of a presidential appearance at Madison Square Garden has added a political subplot to the team’s championship push.

For Hochul, the issue was less about basketball itself and more about an avoidable public stumble. In a state where Knicks history is closely followed by generations of fans, confusing the team’s championship timeline turned a light political dig into a self-inflicted distraction.

IT'S OFFICIAL: President Trump is expected to ATTEND a New York Knicks' NBA Finals game, and Gov. Hochul (D) BACKFIRED when she tried to roast him

HOCHUL: I'd ask him to name the 1993 Knicks championship starting lineup and see how HE does

FOX: "Unfortunately for Hochul,… pic.twitter.com/wZ3NHzLx66

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 28, 2026