NBA champ Brunson to host season premiere of SNL — SkimNews
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- Jalen Brunson will make his SNL hosting debut on Sept. 26 when the sketch show's new season premieres, with pop group Katseye serving as musical guest.
- Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP after scoring 45 points in Game 5 to close out the Knicks' series win over the San Antonio Spurs in June.
- The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years this June, with Brunson leading the title run.
- SNL has leaned on sports star power since its 1975 debut, with past hosts including Bill Russell, Deion Sanders, Derek Jeter, Charles Barkley, Peyton Manning, Travis Kelce, and Tom Brady.
- Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams live on Peacock.
- Brunson joins the long tradition of athletes crossing over to host the NBC late-night staple just months after his crowning playoff performance.
Why it matters: Brunson becomes the first active NBA player hosting SNL since the show's decades-long parade of sports crossover hosts, and his booking capitalizes on the momentum of the Knicks' first title since 1973 — a ratings hook NBC can pair with a fresh pop group in Katseye for the season launch.
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