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Jalen Brunson at the Time100 Sports Gala - Arrivals held at Pier Sixty on July 16, 2026 in New York City, New York.
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Key Takeaways

Jalen Brunson’s championship victory lap is making a stop at Studio 8H.

Fresh off leading the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years, Brunson will host the Season 52 premiere of “Saturday Night Live” later this month. The point guard will make history in more ways than one: He’ll become the first active NBA player to host the sketch comedy series since LeBron James in 2007 and the first Knicks player ever to take on hosting duties, according to Boardroom and the New York Post.

Pop group KATSEYE will make its “SNL” debut as the episode’s musical guest. The group recently released its EP Wild and is currently on the “Wildworld Tour.” Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis and Inde Navarrette are also slated to host episodes during the first month of the season, while Turnstile, Rosalía and Gracie Abrams are among the musical guests.

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Jalen Brunson joins a short list of NBA stars who have hosted “SNL”

It has been a long time since an active NBA player commanded the “SNL” stage. James hosted the Season 33 premiere on Sept. 29, 2007, months after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals. Nearly two decades later, the New Jersey native is next up.

He’ll also join an exclusive group of basketball legends who have hosted the show. According to a list compiled by Sporting News, Bill Russell in 1979, Michael Jordan in 1991 and Charles Barkley beginning in 1993 are among the NBA stars who have previously taken the Studio 8H stage. Barkley later returned multiple times.

The New York Post reported that Brunson will be only the third athlete from a New York-based team to host, following New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter and former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Jalen Brunson’s championship summer keeps getting bigger

The hosting gig adds another milestone to an already unforgettable summer for the Knicks captain. Brunson helped end the franchise’s 53-year championship drought in June and earned NBA Finals MVP honors after dropping 45 points in the title-clinching Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

The wins kept coming off the court, too. In July, Brunson cleaned up at the 2026 ESPYS, winning Best Athlete – Men’s Sports, Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player, while the Knicks took home Best Team. He was also named to TIME’s inaugural TIME100 Sports list, recognizing 100 of the most influential figures shaping the global sports landscape.

Brunson’s “Saturday Night Live” episode airs Sept. 26 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and will stream live on Peacock.