NBA

Jalen Brunson Is Bringing That Championship Swagger to 'SNL' — And It's About Time

TSS
True Sports Staff
Sep 10, 2026
2 Min Read

NEW YORK — Hold onto your popcorn, because Jalen Brunson is headed from the hardwood to the comedy stage. The newly crowned NBA champion and New York Knicks superstar will host the season premiere of 'Saturday Night Live' later this month. Yeah, you read that right.

Brunson, who dragged the Knicks to their first NBA title in 53 years back in June, is making his SNL hosting debut on Sept. 26. And he won't be alone — pop girl group Katseye is locking in as the musical guest. Get ready for a night of pure chaos.

You Might Know Him As The Guy Who Went Off In Game 5

Just in case you forgot, Brunson wasn't just along for the ride in the Finals. He dropped a monstrous 45-point performance in Game 5 to close out the series against the San Antonio Spurs, earning himself the NBA Finals MVP trophy and permanent legend status in New York. Now he's swapping championship confetti for comedy sketches, and we honestly can't wait to see what he does with a Weekend Update desk.

Brunson joins a long list of sports icons who've taken the SNL stage — from Bill Russell and Deion Sanders to Derek Jeter, Charles Barkley, Peyton Manning, Travis Kelce and Tom Brady. The bar is high, but if there's anyone who can handle prime-time pressure, it's the man who just delivered a city its first ring in half a century.

Catch it all when 'Saturday Night Live' returns at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming live on Peacock. Set your alarms, Knicks fans — this one's gonna be special.