New York Knicks

Cardi B says President Trump screwed the New York Knicks' mojo by showing up to Game 3 of the NBA Finals ... killing the overall vibe of Madison Square Garden.

The "WAP" superstar was in the building as the halftime entertainment ... and she says she felt like Trump brought a "dark" energy to MSG.

Cardi chowed down on a SpongeBob SquarePants popsicle as she shared her experience ... comparing Trump's appearance to a principal being at a party, with everyone feeling like they had to be on their best behavior.

Charles Barkley wasn't exactly breaking down pick-and-roll coverage during Game 3 of the NBA Finals ... because once Cardi B hit the floor for halftime, Chuck's scouting report took a very different turn ... and it was sexual.

Check out the clip ... while Cardi brought the house down at Madison Square Garden, Chuck and the "Inside the NBA" crew seemed just as entertained as the fans in the arena. And let's just say Chuck had a particular observation about Cardi's boobs that immediately sent the desk into hysterics.

As cameras showed Cardi performing, Ernie Johnson joked the crew had been "competing with Cardi B" for viewers' attention. Chuck quickly waved the white flag ... cracking that Cardi's famous nickname might need a slight alphabet upgrade.

Chuck joked ... "I don't know if those B's. They might be Cardi D's. I'm pretty sure those aren't B's. She has the wrong initials."

Donald Trump's arrival at Madison Square Garden was almost as anticipated as tipoff itself ... with POTUS instantly becoming part of the show when he stepped into the building for Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Watch for yourself ... the MSG faithful made their feelings known ... turning Trump's appearance during the National Anthem into one of the loudest moments of the night so far.

And it seems the crowd's reaction wasn't lost on him as he let a smirk slip out while the crowd spoke ... or rather booed ... their piece.

The NY Knicks are two games from their first NBA title in 53 years, but President Trump's presence at Madison Square Garden has dominated much of the conversation... begging the question, will it distract the hometown team?!

No, not at all ... according to former NBA star Zach Randolph, who TMZ Sports ran into at LAX on Monday.

"At this stage where these guys are playing for a championship, I don't think that's going to distract [the Knicks] because it's more important things than, you know, getting distracted by the president," the 2x NBA All-Star said.

Cardi B is making the first NBA Finals game in New York City in 27 years even more epic ... TMZ has confirmed she's performing at Game 3.

A source tells us the "WAP" singer will be the star of the halftime show Monday night when the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs head to the locker room.

Cardi will be among a huge list of celebs in the house at Madison Square Garden for the first NBA Finals matchup at MSG since the Knicks and the Spurs back in 1999.

Spike Lee had the legendary West 4th Street courts lookin' like a Knicks block party on Monday ... just hours before tip-off of the most anticipated basketball game in NYC in decades!

The Academy Award winner and NYK superfan pulled up to The Cage in a royal blue and orange wrapped bus, the Fanatics Fan Wagon, around noon -- as scores of fans surrounded the bus to chop it up with Spike, before he heads to the Garden for tonight's game.

Lee and Fanatics hooked fans up with autographed memorabilia, including a signed Karl-Anthony Towns jersey.

President Trump loves a good wall ... so it's only fitting Madison Square Garden set one up outside the venue ahead of POTUS' attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

The safety barricade was put in place by Monday morning ... one of the many safety measures implemented in preparation for Nos. 45 and 47's appearance at the World's Most Famous Arena for the Knicks vs. Spurs matchup.

The vibes will be quite different from the usual ... as rowdy watch parties will not take place outside the building, which has upset Knicks supporters. There will be an event at Bryant Park for backers to congregate at instead ... a 15-minute walk away from MSG.

Stephen A. Smith is calling foul on President Donald Trump's plans to Game 3 of the NBA Finals tonight at Madison Square Garden ... blasting the visit as a massive headache for New Yorkers and saying POTUS has "no business" showing up.

Roll the tape ... the ESPN personality unloaded during Monday's episode of "First Take." SAS didn't dive into politics or policy, but he made it clear he's not thrilled about POTUS bringing the Secret Service circus to one of the biggest basketball nights of the year.

Smith argued MSG isn't some sprawling football stadium with acres of parking and room to spare ... it's smack in the middle of one of the busiest parts of NYC, where traffic is already a nightmare before adding a presidential motorcade and security detail to the mix.

He called Trump's plan to attend "selfish," "narcissistic," and "ridiculous" ... insisting he'd feel the exact same way if the president sitting courtside was Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, or even Ronald Reagan.

Charles Oakley and James Dolan aren't the only feud in Knicks nation -- the beloved hooper is also beefing with his former teammate, legend Patrick Ewing -- and Oak tells us there's no hope for salvaging the relationship.

"For Patrick not to be man enough to come and talk to me after having his back for 10 years, he's a coward," Oakley told Babcock of his longtime teammate and friend.

We followed up, asking if the relationship could be repaired.

The Spurs fan who rushed the court for a pic with Victor Wembanyama is not only persona non grata in the NBA's eyes -- he's in trouble with the law, too.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ Sports the individual -- a juvenile -- was arrested on two charges in connection with Wednesday night's stunt at Game 1 of the Finals at Frost Bank Center ... where he "intentionally breached court security personnel."

Officials say the first charge, Disrupting Meeting or Procession, was committed by "intentionally disrupting a lawful gathering, namely, the Spurs basketball game, through physical interference."

Karl-Anthony Towns' mom wasn't physically in the stands for game 1 of the NBA Finals, but the Knicks star says he felt her presence in a real way ... and it helped KAT lead N.Y. to a huge victory!

"I just felt a calm and a peace that had to be coming from the woman above," Towns told the "Inside the NBA" crew after the thrilling game.

"It felt like I was a kid getting ready to go play my Saturday AAU games and Sunday AAU games. In a way, I felt like I was seeing her in the stands. It was fun. It was really fun, and it was really comforting."

8:50 AM PT -- The fan's stunt resulted in his arrest and a lifetime ban from all NBA arenas, the league announced.

Another fan involved in the incident was also handed a ban for life, the league added.

A fan interrupted Game 1 of the NBA Finals in hopes of getting a selfie with Victor Wembanyama ... with the unwelcome guest rushing the court and approaching the San Antonio Spurs superstar with his phone before getting yanked away by security.

The odd moment went down in the fourth quarter as the Spurs and New York Knicks duked it out ... when a guy wearing a black zipped hoodie, white shirt and black pants sprinted onto the hardwood.

It's clear the 7'4" French center was his target (he kept shouting "Wemby" as he ran) ... but considering the hooper's height, the court stormer never got a clear shot of his face. We take it he has much bigger issues to deal with at the moment than a botched selfie.

President Trump says he is heading back to New York to watch the Knicks, but how will MSG react?? Plus, Spencer Pratt's mayoral fate will soon be decided and the controversy over Kevin Hart's roast continues. So we gotta ask ...