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Inside Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Superfan Mariska Hargitay’s Sweet Bond
Jalen Brunson has his head in the game.
Indeed, the New York Knicks point guard caught nothing but net as he made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut for season 52’s highly anticipated premiere, where he showed off his hooping skills in a sketch reimagining High School Musical.
In the parody sketch High School Musical: The New Generation, Brunson, portraying a new student at North High School, tries out for the basketball team, hilariously dubbed the Cougars. While the rest of the team isn’t thrilled about the idea of a newcomer trying out, Jake (Jeremy Culhane) encourages his peers to let him try out.
Little did he know Brunson’s character would have fabulous hooping skills as he repeatedly blocked Jake’s shot until he eventually fell to the ground. Later in the sketch, Brunson repeatedly dunked on Culhane before pantsing him in front of his teammates.
After wiping the floor with him, Brunson stepped into his role as alpha on the team, telling a crawling Jake to “kiss the ball, call me daddy now.”
But Brunson's acting skills wouldn't be the only standout moment from the evening. After all the athlete's fellow starting five teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges also made the episode a night to remember.
ICYMI, Brunson, who was awarded NBA Finals MVP, led the Knicks to victory when they won the NBA championship on June 11, marking the team’s first win since 1973.
“This summer, I helped the Knicks win the NBA championship,” he said in his monologue. “By now, you’ve all heard me talk about it, but you haven’t heard me sing about it… And obviously I’m not going to.”
However, he shared he was open to a few questions about the accomplishment, which is when the camera panned to the rest of the team’s starting five in the audience.
Towns—no stranger to a foul on the court—kicked off the round of questions, asking, “Can you foul out of SNL?” to which Brunson replied, “No, I don’t think so.”
Smiling ear to ear, the center and power forward added, “I could be here, like, the whole show? Nice!”
Up next, Bridges asked with his arms stretched out, “Are my arms like really long? They're too long, right?”
After Brunson affirmed his assessment, chiming in, “Yeah, buddy. You got a great wingspan,” Bridges added disappointedly, “Yet I’ll never fly.”
And Brunson can always count on his teammates to keep him humble. After all, Anunoby reminded the 30-year-old of a near-miss on the court.
Photo by: Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via Getty Images
“Remember in Game Four when you took that shot in the end and you missed it?” he asked, before Brunson responded, “Yeah, you tipped it in.”
Anunoby added, “Oh yeah, that was awesome.”
Lastly, Hart candidly asked the SNL host, “Is it true that you took a $113 million pay cut just to resign with the Knicks?”
After Brunson affirmed it was correct, Hart joked, “Wow. So, is that money, like, still up for grabs?”
To roaring applause, all the athletes then joined Brunson onstage.
But the 8H audience wouldn’t be the only ones cheering on the New York team. Keep reading for all the celebs in the Knicks fandom…
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Timothée Chalamet
When it comes to Timothée Chalamet's fandoms, his love of the New York Knicks reigns supreme.
"My grandma was a huge Knicks fan, so that's what turned me onto them," the Marty Supreme star told 7PM in Brooklyn in 2025. "If you live in New York, you are a Knicks fan."
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Kylie Jenner
And if you've been keeping up, then you know Kylie Jenner has been joining Chalamet, whom she's dated since 2023, courtside to cheer on the Knicks.
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Ben Stiller
You could never sever Ben Stiller's tie to the Knicks. In fact, the Severance director said that if he could choose between winning an Oscar or having the team take the championship title, he'd pick the latter.
"I really think, at the end of the day, if I knew that I had the choice, I would give it to the Knicks," he said on New Heights in 2025, "because I knew at least I had the choice in this weird, non-real situation."
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Spike Lee
Spike Lee is a longtime Knicks superfan and believes the 2025-2026 roster has what it takes to secure the trophy.
"I don’t care about San Antonio. OKC,” the filmmaker told the New York Post in May 2026. “We’re going to win.”
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Tracy Morgan
Nothing could rock Tracy Morgan's love for the Knicks. As the 30 Rock alum put it on The Rich Eisen Show in 2021, "I'm the biggest Knicks fan there is besides Spike."
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Fat Joe
What's Luv? The way Fat Joe feels about the Knicks.
In fact, hours before the Knicks confirmed their appearance in the finals, the rapper reflected on the decades the team struggled, noting to ESPN, "It’s time. We paid our dues."
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Pete Davidson
Live from New York...it's Pete Davidson. The Saturday Night Live alum has often been seen sitting courtside.
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Chris Rock
Chris Rock's loyalty to the Knicks is no laughing matter as the comedian has attended many games over the years.
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Larry David
Larry David isn't going to curb his enthusiasm for the Knicks.
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JB Smoove
And neither is his costar JB Smoove.
"How it started vs How it ended," the actor wrote on Instagram in 2024. "It’ll always be Knicks for life."
Jordyn Woods / Instagram
Jordyn Woods
Jordyn Woods' love for the Knicks extends on and off the court. The Woods by Jordyn founder is engaged to the team's center Karl-Anthony Towns.
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Cardi B
While Cardi B has a song called "Bodak Yellow," she's all about that orange and blue. In fact, the rapper and former Patriots player Stefon Diggs officially debuted their romance at a 2025 game between the Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
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Anne Hathaway
Is Anne Hathaway wearing the Chanel boots Knicks colors? Yeah, she is. The Devil Wears Prada star showed where her loyalties lie by donning an orange and blue pocket square to The Tonight Show in April 2026.
"I’m very chill," she told host Jimmy Fallon about her fandom. "I’m very loving and calm. But I’m also the type of fan that I considered wearing an OG jersey out here today."
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Jimmy Fallon
Speaking of which, Fallon is also a big fan of the Knicks, with him even bringing his eldest daughter Franny along for the ride during the 2026 NBA playoffs.
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Michael J. Fox
You don't have to travel back to the future to see how much Michael J. Fox loves the Knicks. The actor has gone to many games with his wife Tracy Pollan.
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Jon Stewart
Throughout the Knicks' ups and downs, Jon Stewart has continued to support the team, with The Daily Show host calling himself a "ride or die" fan.
Instagram / Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers
A Knicks win is music to Maggie Rogers' ears as the singer has documented her love for the organization.
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