New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson kicks off the new season of ‘SNL’

NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, of the 2026 championship-winning New York Knicks, kicked off the 52nd season of “Saturday Night Live.”

During Saturday’s hoops-heavy show, Brunson delivered a monologue in which he promised to approach his “SNL” performance with the same strategy he used during Knicks’ NBA Finals games.

“The first three quarters of the show are going to be god-awful,” he said. “The last sketch is going to be amazing.”

The monologue featured “SNL” veteran Kenan Thompson as ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith, invited by Brunson so the player could “get some closure” after Smith had expressed doubts about his abilities.

Jalen Brunson brings Knicks players to 'SNL'

“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,” Thompson’s Smith said. “Nor did I believe that you could deliver the team’s first championship since 1973, when I was only 5 years old.”

Knicks teammates Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns made cameos to portray members of the studio audience chosen to ask questions of the point guard.

“Can you foul out of ‘SNL?’” Towns asked.

In the recorded sketch…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business