‘Saturday Night Live’: Jalen Brunson Dunks On ‘High School Musical’ Lead, Katseye Crowns Awkward New Girl Group In Season 52 Premiere

Following the Knicks’ big win at Madison Square Garden, Jalen Brunson took the stage at 30 Rockefeller Center for his Saturday Night Live hosting debut.

On Saturday’s Season 52 premiere, the NBA Finals 2026 MVP showed off some comedic chops in an otherwise business-as-usual episode of the NBC sketch comedy show, which featured Katseye as its musical guest.

Introducing new cast members Grace Reiter and Saidah Belo-Osagie, Katseye returned to a parody season of The Debut: Dream Academy to crown a new girl group. The quartet also performed in a mini music video with the awkward group of ladies, also featuring Jane Wickline and Veronika Slowikowska.

The next sketch was a support group featuring Brunson as one of several men whose spouses were grinded on at Usher and Chris Brown’s The R&B Tour.

“When I spent $1,200 on that meet-and-greet, I never expected her to actually greet his meat,” said Brunson as the other group members comforted him.

Brunson also starred in the parody sketch High School Musical: The New Generation as an athletically gifted new student who hilariously keeps dunking on the new Troy Bolton stand-in (Jeremy Culhane) and steals his girlfriend (Slowikowska).

As Shark Tank judge Daymond John, Brunson asked if the invention Respectacles, a pair of glasses that sounds an alarm when the wearer looks at breasts, “works for ass.” The inventors’ (Culhane and Ben Marshall) presentation keeps getting interrupted as they check out Lori Greiner.

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Saturday Night Live kicked off its 52nd season this weekend on NBC with host Brunson and musical guest Katseye. The season continues with guest hosts Dakota Johnson, Shane Gillis and Inde Navarrette, along with musical guests Turnstile, Rosalía and Gracie Abrams.