Brunson debuts on 'SNL' with the help of four Knicks teammates

Jalen Brunson had very special assistance during his debut as a host of Saturday Night Live. The point guard for the New York Knicks brought four of his teammates, all NBA champions, to the show's audience during the monologue that opened the 52nd season of the NBC program.

The current NBA Finals MVP was joined by Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart, who directly participated in the monologue and ended up becoming a fundamental part of one of the night's highlights.

Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart join Brunson's monologue

Brunson took advantage of his appearance to joke about several aspects of his life and career. Among other things, he mentioned that he would not sing and recalled Stephen A. Smith, from ESPN and a well-known Knicks fan, who was portrayed during the monologue by Kenan Thompson.

The player also made several jokes about his eagerness to return to the court at Madison Square Garden, the venue where the Knicks play their home games. Brunson even referenced the recent marriage of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, celebrated in the summer at the team’s stadium.

"The exact place where Taylor and Travis got married," Brunson said.

However, the best assists of the night came from the front rows. Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart asked questions to their teammate as part of the monologue, allowing Brunson to interact with them in front of the audience.

Towns wanted to know if it was possible to get kicked out of SNL for accumulating fouls. When he found out that it wasn't a possibility, he responded: "So I can stay here the whole show? Awesome".

Bridges, for his part, asked Brunson if his arms were long, although he lamented never being able to fly. Anunoby's moment had a much more relevant reference to the recent history of the Knicks.

Anunoby recalls the decisive moment of the Finals

Anunoby, who received a great ovation from the audience, asked Brunson if he remembered missing a shot at the end of the fourth game of the NBA Finals against San Antonio, a series that the Knicks ended up winning in five games.

The reference corresponded to a decisive action of the match. After a miss by Brunson, there was an offensive rebound basket in the last second that nearly secured New York's victory.

"That was amazing", said Anunoby.

Hart's participation shifted the conversation to another well-known topic surrounding Brunson. The player, who also co-hosts a podcast with the Knicks' point guard, asked him how he was able to pass up 113 million dollars in contract negotiations with the New York franchise.

Brunson responded with another question directed at Hart, this time related to the Knicks' celebration after winning the NBA Cup last season: he wanted to know why his teammate had given him a tap on the butt during the celebration.

Finally, Brunson invited Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart to come on stage, prompting one last roar from the audience before concluding his participation.

Brunson enters a historic list of hosts

Brunson's debut also had a historic dimension within the NBA. The Knicks' point guard became the first active NBA player to host 'SNL' since LeBron James, who did so in 2007 when he was still with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Additionally, Brunson was the first professional athlete to take on the role of host since Travis Kelce, tight end of the Kansas City Chiefs, in 2023.

The list of NBA players who have hosted Saturday Night Live includes, in addition to Brunson and James, Michael Jordan, who did it in 1991; Charles Barkley, who has hosted the show four times, including once in 1993 while still active; and Bill Russell, who hosted the program in 1979, ten years after retiring.

Brunson, Jordan, Barkley, and James also have another thing in common: they all hosted season premieres of SNL.

Brunson's promise for the final 'sketch'

Brunson concluded his monologue by bringing to television one of the traits that has accompanied him most during his career with the Knicks: the confidence to show up in crucial moments.

The point guard promised that his performance would follow a script similar to that of an NBA Finals game, in which the Knicks defeated the Spurs in June.

"I'm going to approach this the same way I approach a Finals game with the Knicks", said Brunson. "The first three quarters of the show are going to be awful. The last sketch is going to be incredible".

With Towns, Bridges, Anunoby, and Hart among the audience and on stage, Brunson had an unusual assist for an NBA player: that of four of his own teammates during his debut as host of one of the most well-known shows on American television.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Brunson se estrena en "SNL" con ayuda de cuatro compañeros de los Knicks