Jalen Brunson Hosts Comedy Show with Help From New York Knicks Teammates

A Special Night for the MVP

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson took on a different role recently when he hosted the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. The reigning NBA Finals MVP did not go at it alone. He brought four of his championship teammates to support him during his opening monologue.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart were all in the audience. The group of Knicks players actively participated in the show by asking Brunson questions from their seats, turning the performance into a team effort.

Teammates Join the Fun

During the monologue, the players poked fun at each other and their recent success. Towns joked about the rules of the show, asking if it was possible to foul out. When told there were no fouls, he joked that he could stay for the whole program.

Anunoby brought up a key moment from the NBA Finals against San Antonio, which the Knicks won in five games. He reminded Brunson about a missed shot in Game 4. Anunoby had tipped in that missed shot to seal the victory for New York.

Hart, who hosts a podcast with Brunson, asked him about leaving 113 million dollars on the table when he signed his contract with the Knicks. Brunson quickly fired back, asking Hart why he poked him in the backside after they won the NBA Cup last season.

Making Basketball History

Brunson made history with his hosting appearance. He is the first active NBA player to host Saturday Night Live since LeBron James did it in 2007 while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is also the first professional athlete to host since Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in 2023.

Only a few other basketball legends have hosted the show. Michael Jordan hosted in 1991, Charles Barkley hosted four times, and Bill Russell hosted in 1979, which was 10 years after he retired. Like Jordan, Barkley, and James, Brunson was given the honor of hosting a season premiere.

Brunson compared his hosting duties to his performance on the court. "I'm going to approach this the same way I approach a Knicks Finals game," Brunson said. He joked that the first part of the show would be terrible but the final sketch would be great.