Brunson hosts SNL premiere with Knicks teammates — SkimNews
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- Jalen Brunson hosted the Saturday Night Live season 52 premiere on September 27, 2026, becoming the first active NBA player to host since LeBron James in 2007 and the first pro athlete since Travis Kelce in 2023.
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart joined Brunson on stage during his monologue, with each asking him a question — Anunoby's reference to his Game 4 tip-in off a Brunson miss in the NBA Finals drew a huge ovation.
- The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals, with Brunson winning Finals MVP; the teammates traded barbs about the title run, including Hart pressing Brunson on leaving $113 million on the bargaining table to sign with New York.
- Brunson's monologue included a jab at ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (portrayed by Kenan Thompson) for questioning his abilities and a quip that the SNL stage stood at the exact spot where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden.
- Brunson joked he'd approach hosting the way he approaches a Finals game: "The first three quarters of the show are going to be god-awful. The last sketch is going to be amazing."
- Brunson joined a short list of NBA players to host SNL — Michael Jordan (1991), Charles Barkley (four times including one as an active player in 1993), Bill Russell (1979), and James — all of whom hosted season premieres.
Why it matters: Brunson's hosting slot cements his crossover star status at the moment the Knicks are NBA champions, and the teammates' stage appearances turn an SNL monologue into a victory lap — a rare promotional platform for an active player that the league hasn't produced in nearly two decades.
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