The 52nd season of Saturday Night Live kicked off with a knockout opening: NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson took the host chair, flanked by the entire New York Knicks starting five. The event blended basketball triumph with late-night comedy, turning the famed New York stage into a locker-room for champions.
Brunson opened his monologue by drawing a parallel between his recent NBA victory and the show’s structure. “Tonight I’m gonna approach hosting in the same way I approach the Knicks finals game; so the first three quarters of the show are gonna be god awful. The last sketch is gonna be amazing,” he quipped, highlighting the confidence that carried the Knicks to their first championship since 1973. The celebration was still fresh, as the team clinched the title in June of this year, earning a historic 53-year gap break.
Knicks camaraderie on the SNL stage
Before the lights dimmed for the first sketch, Brunson invited his teammates—Karl-Anthony TownsJosh HartOG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges—to field audience questions. Towns launched the rapid-fire round with, “Can you foul out of SNL?” Brunson answered, “No, I don’t think so.” The banter continued as Towns asked, “I could be here, like, the whole show?” Hart then pivoted to a financial jab: “Is it true that you took a $113 million pay cut just to re-sign with the Knicks?” Brunson confirmed, “Yeah, that’s pretty true.” Hart followed up, asking whether the money was still “up for grabs.” The exchange underscored the team’s playful chemistry and reinforced Brunson’s role as both champion and entertainer.
Beyond the jokes, Brunson’s presence reminded viewers of his dominant season. He posted a regular-season average of 26.0 points per game, then intensified his output in the playoffs with 28.4 points6.1 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. Those figures earned him both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP honors, cementing his status as a clutch performer.
A cold open that mixed politics, weather and pop culture
The show’s opening sketch leaned into current New York buzz, parodying a fictional friendship between New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Donald Trump. Ramy Youssef portrayed Mamdani, who quipped, “What reckless lunatic would travel to see me in this kind of weather?” Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, replied, “Your best friend! I missed my day one. For some reason that no one can figure out, I really, really like you.” The sketch referenced the ongoing El Niño conditions hitting the city, prompting the faux president to suggest a move to Washington, D.C., while Mamdani insisted on staying, demanding a $21 billion housing project in Queens as a condition.
In classic SNL fashion, the bit layered absurdist humor with timely references, including a rapid-fire mention of AI leaders and a cameo from Ashley Padilla as Natalie Harp, an imagined executive assistant to Trump. The sketch’s punchline centered on Mamdani offering to follow Trump on Instagram, culminating in Trump’s triumphant declaration, “It’s a done deal.”
Weekend Update and upcoming SNL line-up
During the Weekend Update segment, Jeremy Culhane returned as his satirical Tucker Carlson, delivering a tongue-in-cheek critique of summer box-office releases. He mocked the horror film Obsession as “the left’s idea of a horror movie,” and riffed on the rebranded Spider-Man: Brand New Day hilariously misnaming it “Spider-They, Spider-Them” while noting the film’s flexible bathroom policy. The segment also threw a sly jab at the “Minions & Monsters” headline, equating it with a fictional Trump cabinet.
Looking ahead, the SNL schedule promises a blend of Hollywood and sports cross-overs. Next week, actress Dakota Johnson will host with the punk band Turnstile as musical guests. Later in October, comedian Shane Gillis takes the stage alongside Spanish singer Rosalía. The Halloween episode will see Inde Navarrette of Obsession making her hosting debut, supported by singer Gracie Abrams. All told, Brunson and the Knicks mark the inaugural host-musical-guest pairing of the season.
With the Knicks set to open the 2026-27 campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 20 Brunson’s SNL appearance serves as a high-profile bridge between the basketball world and prime-time comedy. As he reminded fans, the new NBA season begins “just a couple of weeks away,” and returning to Madison Square Garden feels “pretty cool,” especially after the arena hosted the summer wedding of pop icon Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce only months earlier.
