Jalen Brunson is trading the basketball court for Studio 8H.
The New York Knicks star and NBA champion will make his hosting debut when Saturday Night Live returns for season 52 on Sept. 26, NBC announced Wednesday.
Brunson was named Most Valuable Player of the 2026 NBA Finals after leading the Knicks to their first championship in 53 years.
Global girl group Katseye will join him as the evening’s musical guest. The group recently released its third EP titled Wild and is currently touring.
Related: ‘SNL’ Host Colman Domingo Steals Show as Fashionable Robbery Witness
Dakota Johnson will return to SNL for her third hosting gig on Oct. 3, on the same weekend her new film Verity arrives in theaters.
Grammy-winning rock band Turnstile will make its SNL debut as musical guest. The group recently kicked off the North American leg of its Never Enough Tour Pt. 2.
Comedian Shane Gillis will host the Oct. 10 episode, marking his third time leading the sketch comedy series.
Gillis’ return could draw renewed criticism. In May, he hosted Netflix’s Kevin Hart roast and faced backlash over jokes some viewers called racist. Black viewers in particular criticized Gillis for saying, “Kevin Hart is so short that they’re gonna have to lynch him from a bonsai tree.”
Sheryl Underwood, who was one of the comedians taking part in the roast fired back at Gillis.
“You don’t know where the f–k you are. You will respect us in this house. This is the f–king Forum, built by the Showtime Lakers,” Underwood told the comic.
The controversy came seven years after SNL fired Gillis in 2019, just days after announcing he was joining the cast. The comedian was dropped after past racist and homophobic remarks surfaced online. Still, Gillis returned to host SNL in 2024 and again in 2025.
Rosalía will return for her second appearance as musical guest. The Grammy-winning singer recently wrapped her global Lux tour.
After a two-week break, SNL will return on Halloween with actress Inde Navarrette making her hosting debut. Navarrette most recently starred in the horror-thriller Obsession.
Gracie Abrams will make her second appearance as musical guest. The singer-songwriter will launch her The Look at My Life tour in December in support of her third studio album, Daughter from Hell.
Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video. Lorne Michaels serves as creator and executive producer.
The new season kicks off live on NBC Sept. 26. at 11:30 p.m. ET/ 8:30 p.m. PT and stream simultaneously on Peacock.
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