Host Jalen Brunson brings the Knicks to premiere of ‘SNL,’ with many nods to team’s NBA title run

Jalen Brunson brought four of his NBA champion teammates to “Saturday Night Live.”

The reigning NBA Finals MVP had four of his New York Knicks teammates — Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, O.G. Anunoby and Josh Hart — in the audience for his monologue Saturday night, in his role as host of the NBC program’s 52nd season premiere.

Brunson poked fun at how he’s not going to sing, how ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith — a Knicks fan, portrayed during the monologue by longtime “SNL” star Kenan Thompson — owed him an apology for questioning his abilities, and even quipped about how much he’s looking forward to getting back to the Knicks’ home court at Madison Square Garden.

“The exact spot where Taylor and Travis got married,” Brunson said, referring to the wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce at the team’s arena.

But the best assists came from Towns, Bridges, Anunoby and Hart, who all asked Brunson questions as part of the monologue.

Towns asked if someone can foul out of “SNL.” When told it’s not possible, Towns said, “so I can be here, like, the whole show? Nice.”

Bridges asked Brunson if his arms were long, but lamented that he’ll never fly. Anunoby, who got a huge ovation, asked Brunson if he recalled missing a shot late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against San Antonio — a series that the Knicks won in five games.

The Game 4 shot that Anunoby was referring to was a last-second tip-in — off a Brunson miss — that basically ensured the Knicks would win the game.

“That was awesome,” Anunoby said.

Hart — who co-hosts a podcast with Brunson — asked his Villanova and New York teammate about how he left $113 million on the bargaining table when signing with the Knicks. Brunson, in turned, asked why Hart poked Brunson in the backside when the Knicks won the NBA Cup last season.

Brunson then brought his teammates to the stage for one last roar from the crowd.

Brunson became the first active NBA player to host the show since LeBron James — then of the Cleveland Cavaliers — in 2007 and the first pro athlete in the role since Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, in 2023.

The other NBA players to host besides Brunson and James: Michael Jordan in 1991, Charles Barkley on four occasions (including one as an active player in 1993) and Bill Russell in 1979. Russell’s stint came 10 years after he retired as a player.

Brunson, Jordan, Barkley and James all hosted season-premiere episodes of “SNL.” And Brunson promised late heroics, just like what he delivered in crunch time of the Knicks’ games in the title series against the Spurs in June.

“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.”

___

See AP’s full NBA coverage here