Jalen Brunson brought four of his New York Knicks teammates to Saturday Night Live's 52nd season premiere, where he served as host. The reigning NBA Finals MVP was joined by Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart in the audience for his monologue. Brunson joked about not singing, referenced Stephen A.

Smith owing him an apology, and teased the Knicks' home court at Madison Square Garden. He also made light of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding at the arena, calling it 'the exact spot where Taylor and Travis got married.' The Knicks teammates participated in the monologue, with Towns asking about fouling out, Bridges questioning arm length, Anunoby referencing a missed shot in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and Hart poking fun at Brunson leaving $113 million on the bargaining table. Brunson became the first active NBA player to host since Le Bron James in 2007 and the first pro athlete since Kelce in 2023.

Other NBA legends to host include Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Bill Russell. Brunson promised to deliver in the final sketch, comparing his approach to a Knicks Finals game.