Mike Francesa claims Donald Trump teased presidential plans to him at Rangers game

Mike Francesa has known Donald Trump for years, and he may have been one of the first to know about his plans of running for president.

Francesa recently joined Adam Schein on his Schein Time show for The Post to discuss the NBA Finals featuring the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. During the show, Francesa was asked about one of the biggest side stories from these Finals: Trump attending Game 3 at the Garden.

While Stephen A. Smith and others have ripped Trump for going to Game 3, Francesa was less bothered by it, noting he still views the president as a New Yorker despite his frayed relationship with the city. But prior to becoming president, Trump was a regular at the Garden, with Francesa saying they even sat next to each other in Dolan’s seats.

“Last time I sat there with him, he sat next to me for the Rangers-Kings Final when the Rangers lost,” Francesa recalled. “And he told me he was going to run for president. And I said, ‘Get out of here!’ True story!

“I’ve known him forever. Dog and I did boxing events for him in Atlanta City when it was Bowe vs. Holyfield, and he was promoting boxing. So I’ve known him for 30-40 years. So has Dog. I thought he was kidding!”

But he wasn’t kidding. Trump has now run for president three times, winning two of those elections. The New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings played in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, two years before Trump was elected to his first term in the White House.

Francesa’s timing aligns with that of Stephen A. Smith, who has repeatedly said that Trump told him he would run for president if the NFL didn’t allow him to buy the Buffalo Bills. Trump’s bid to purchase the Bills was denied in 2014, around the same time he would have similarly been teasing a presidential campaign to Francesa at the Garden.