The New York Knicks earned their place atop the sports world with a historic 2026 NBA Championship run full of gut-wrenching deficits and record-setting comebacks. Team Captain Jalen Brunson, previously declared unfit to serve as the No. 1 option of any serious title contender, took his mantle as the league's reigning Finals MVP by force.
The guard, and teammate (but totally not best friend) Josh Hart, teamed up to throw out a pair of mid-June ceremonial first pitches at Yankee Stadium in the wake of their championship victory. And the point guard's summer of dreams continued in mid-July, when he won ESPY awards for Best NBA Player, Best Championship Performance and Best Athlete in Men's Sports amid the Knicks' sweep of each of their nominations.
But Brunson, who's already making clear to the media that he and his Knicks are ready to move on from their championship celebrations, is apparently not done just yet. It was announced on Wednesday that the point guard will be hosting the premiere of Saturday Night Live's 52nd season alongside musical guest Katseye. With a title, Finals MVP, and summer as New York City's celebrity of choice under his belt — it's more than fair to declare Brunson the Big Apple's King.
Brunson's SNL hosting spot puts him in special company
Obviously, Brunson's real accomplishment was leading the Knicks through a playoff run that ended a 53-year championship drought. The fact that he's able to follow that up with a hosting gig at Saturday Night Live, though, is just another example of the advantages the Knicks have as a result of their location.
Last season, six-time Grammy Award winner Bad Bunny took on hosting duties for SNL's season opener. According to NBC Universal, the episode finished as the season's most-watched on Peacock. It also featured the most-viewed sketch across social platforms of Season 51 in its entirety.
Brunson, a proud fan of Bad Bunny's music, will surely be glad to join the musical artist in hosting a season premiere of the Hall of Fame-inducted television program.
Thank you Benito
— Jalen Brunson (@jalenbrunson1) February 9, 2026
Brunson's episode will air on September 26. Fans are already expecting surprise cameos from other members of the Knicks' roster.
WFAN's Evan Roberts and Tiki Barber already got to speculating on their weekday radio show, wondering in the wake of Wednesday's announcement if Hart will be involved in a sketch — or at least the guard's monologue. Roberts added that he wouldn't be surprised if several Knick teammates, including OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, end up being involved as well.
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