Knicks guard Jalen Brunson hosts Saturday Night Live season premiere
NBA champion Jalen Brunson appeared as host of Saturday Night Live's 52nd season, delivering a monologue and participating in several sketches alongside teammates and musical guest Katseye.
Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks point guard who helped lead the team to its first NBA championship since 1973, hosted the season 52 premiere of Saturday Night Live on Saturday night. The show featured musical guest Katseye, and Brunson was joined onstage by teammates Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Brunson delivered a monologue following the program's customary cold open and took part in a series of comedy sketches, including a workplace scene about missing a trash-can shot, a parody of a popular high-school musical, and a spoof of a business-pitch program involving a novelty product. Observers noted that his performance was solid for a first-time host without a comedy background.
"Brunson did well, but it helped that he brought back up in the form of teammates Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns," a commentator wrote.
The appearance adds Brunson to a growing list of athletes who have hosted the long-running sketch show, with some analysts comparing his effort favorably to previous sports figures who have taken the role.