Jalen Brunson steps from Madison Square Garden to Studio 8H tonight, hosting the premiere of “Saturday Night Live” season 52 on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET. The New York Knicks guard, fresh off leading his team to its first NBA championship in 53 years and earning Finals MVP honors, becomes the first Knick ever to host the show and only the fifth NBA player in its history to take the job. Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and LeBron James preceded him; James was the last active player to host, back in 2007.
Pop group KATSEYE joins Brunson as the night’s musical guest, marking its own “SNL” debut. The Grammy-nominated act released its third EP, “WILD,” in August and is midway through its sold-out WILDWORLD tour.
Brunson’s championship run supplied one of basketball’s most dramatic postseasons. He scored 38 points against Cleveland in an Eastern Conference finals game the Knicks trailed by 22 points before winning in overtime, then helped erase a 29-point deficit against San Antonio in the NBA Finals, the largest comeback in the round’s history. New York beat the Spurs to capture its first title since 1973.
The premiere kicks off a stacked run of episodes. Dakota Johnson returns for her third hosting stint on Oct. 3, with hardcore band Turnstile performing. Shane Gillis hosts for a third time on Oct. 10 alongside musical guest Rosalía. After a two-week break, “Obsession” breakout Inde Navarrette makes her hosting debut on Halloween night, backed by Gracie Abrams.
Season 52 arrives as “SNL” continues to dominate the awards circuit, having collected 11 Emmy nominations for its 51st season and extending its records for most nominations and wins of any television program.
Viewers can catch tonight’s episode live on NBC or stream it on Peacock, which carries the show both live and on demand. Cord-cutters without a Peacock subscription can also access NBC’s live feed through services such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling and DirecTV, several of which offer free trial periods for new subscribers.
