NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson kicked off “Saturday Night Live” Season 52 as its first host, bringing the New York Knicks’ starting five to Studio 8H for a premiere that leaned hard into the team’s newly won championship. The K-pop group KATSEYE served as the episode’s musical guest.
Brunson opened his monologue with a joke that compared hosting to the Knicks’ playoff run: “Tonight I’m gonna approach hosting in the same way I approach the Knicks finals game; so the first three quarters of the show are gonna be god awful. The last sketch is gonna be amazing.” He also said that after the championship, “you haven’t heard me sing about it… And obviously I’m not going to.”
The Knicks Take Center Stage
For Brunson’s big night, teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were all in the audience — and on screen. The monologue featured the four ribbing their captain, who had reasonably launched into a series of callbacks to the team’s June title run.
Early in the bit, Kenan Thompson appeared as ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith to admit he was wrong about Brunson. “I am man enough to admit that I was wrong. When the New York Knickerbockers signed you and I did not think that you were the answer, nor did I believe that you could deliver the team’s first championship since 1973.”
When Brunson asked how long the rant would last, “Smith” shot back: “About another seven minutes.” Brunson then took audience questions, which his teammates gleefully used to mock him — including Josh Hart asking about Brunson’s reported $113 million pay cut to re-sign with the Knicks.
A Title Barren Since 1973
The New York Knicks won the NBA championship in June, capturing their first title since 1973, and Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP after a historic season. He joked about how his return to Madison Square Garden now features an unusual landmark.
“Looking around like, wow, just a few months ago, this was the exact spot where Taylor and Travis got married.” — Jalen Brunson, on the MSG ceremony for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
The premiere also had real backstage significance for the show. It comes as the long-running sketch series continues to evolve, following recent cast changes like Chloe Fineman leaving SNL. The Knicks open their regular season Oct. 20.
Why It Matters
For “Saturday Night Live,” a Season 52 premiere headlined by a hometown sports hero is a ratings-friendly bet that taps into New York’s championship fever. For Brunson, hosting the show confirms his crossover appeal beyond basketball—a first-lap reward for a player who just delivered the Knicks their first title in more than half a century. Whether the sketches delivered on his “amazing last one” promise aside, the night cemented Brunson’s status as one of the most marketable athletes of his generation.
