Jalen Brunson continues his busy offseason after leading the New York Knicks to the 2026 NBA championship.
Editor’s Note: Read more NBA coverage from The Athletic here. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its teams.
***
More than basketball fans continue getting familiar with New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
Brunson appeared in a prerecorded video to open the 78th Emmys with this year’s host, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star Mariska Hargitay. The Emmys honor the best in television programming. Brunson and Hargitay, who are friends, have become synonymous with the Knicks for different reasons. Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP after leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years three months ago.
Hargitay is a Knicks fan and was a regular at Madison Square Garden during New York’s title run. Her reaction to the Knicks’ 29-point comeback in Game 4 of the finals went viral as she stood on the court in disbelief and hugged OG Anunoby. She also was on Brunson’s float during the Knicks’ championship parade.
This time, Brunson made an appearance for Hargitay’s big moment as she became the first woman to host the Emmys in 15 years.
In the scene, Brunson is steaming his blue Knicks jersey while Hargitay steams a dress for the show. Hargitay talks about pressure and asks, “Have you ever felt like you have millions of eyes on you and it all comes down to one night?”
Brunson, with the NBA Finals logo on the back of his jersey visible, reappeared onscreen with a dumbfounded look and replied, “Seriously?”
Hargitay says, in her case, it’s just her, and she doesn’t have anyone to “tap it in” for her — a reference to Anunoby’s game-winning tip-in to clinch New York’s aforementioned historic comeback — before leaving for the rest of the intro video because she doesn’t have time to “steam outfits” with Brunson.
She dropped another Brunson reference, though, saying, “Catch another Brunson nail the shot” when talking about “Abbott Elementary” star and multi-time Emmy award winner Quinta Brunson.
Jalen Brunson’s and Hargitay’s worlds will continue crossing over. Hargitay said Brunson’s appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” is “in the works” and “it’s definitely happening.”
That will not be the first time Brunson makes a television appearance. He’s slated to host the season premiere of Season 52 of “Saturday Night Live” on Sept. 26. Hosting the sketch comedy show will give Brunson an opportunity to show off his acting and comedic talents more. He’ll join Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and LeBron James as the only NBA players to host the show.
Brunson has also appeared on WWE multiple times, including in July. He’s been a part of storylines with WWE star Roman Reigns, whom he’s referenced during Knicks news conferences, and an arc with Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton. The three-time All-Star has also announced he’ll release a children’s book, “Jalen Plays It All,” in November.
***
Jason Jones is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering Culture. Previously, he spent 16 years at the Sacramento Bee, covering the Sacramento Kings and Oakland Raiders. He’s a proud Southern California native and a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.
