Jalen Brunson Hosts 'Saturday Night Live,' Celebrates Knicks' NBA Title Run
The reigning NBA Finals MVP brought teammates and nods to his team's championship season to the NBC sketch comedy show's premiere.
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson hosted the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, bringing along four of his NBA championship teammates and incorporating several references to the Knicks' recent title run.
Brunson, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was joined in the audience by teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, O.G. Anunoby, and Josh Hart for the NBC program's 52nd season opener. During his opening monologue, Brunson quipped about his hosting duties, joked about ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, and mentioned looking forward to returning to Madison Square Garden, humorously referring to it as the site where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had a "wedding."
The Knicks players featured in the monologue included Towns, who asked if one could be ejected from "SNL"; Bridges, who questioned Brunson's arm length and lamented his own inability to fly; and Anunoby, who received a significant ovation. Anunoby recalled a crucial tip-in shot late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, a game the Knicks ultimately won in five.
Hart, who co-hosts a podcast with Brunson, asked his teammate about the $113 million he left on the bargaining table when signing with the Knicks. Brunson, in turn, questioned Hart about an incident during the Knicks' NBA Cup victory last season.
Brunson became the first active NBA player to host "SNL" since LeBron James in 2007. Other NBA figures who have hosted the show include Michael Jordan in 1991, Charles Barkley (four times, including once as an active player in 1993), and Bill Russell in 1979. Brunson, Jordan, Barkley, and James all hosted season-premiere episodes.
Reflecting on his hosting role, Brunson promised a show with late heroics, comparing it to his performance in the Knicks' championship games. "I’m going to approach this the same way I approach a Knicks finals game," Brunson said. "The first three quarters of the show are going to be god-awful. The last sketch is going to be amazing."