For years, Stephen A. Smith had plenty to say about Jalen Brunson and whether the Knicks guard could really be the answer in New York. On Saturday night, Brunson finally found the perfect setting to answer back.
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Making his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live, the reigning NBA champion brought up the doubters who once questioned him. He wanted “closure,” he said. And to help him settle the score, out came Kenan Thompson!
The Comedian and actor, although came out dressed like Stephen A. Smith, all ready to offer Brunson an apology for doubting him.
“You know what? Let me say this, Jalen Brunson. I am man enough to admit that I was wrong when the New York Knicks signed you, and I did not think that you were the answer, nor did I believe that you could deliver the team’s first championship since 1973 when I was only five years old,” Thompson acted in a show.
Brunson quickly interrupted him.
Brunson: “Sorry, Stephen. How long is this going to…”
Kenan: “About another seven minutes.”
Brunson: “Yeah, forget it.”
The joke landed because this wasn’t fictional. Smith has been critical of Brunson, and he has always been extremely open about it. However, Brunson now has the authority to answer back because he has proved himself through his actions.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals. They won their first championship since 1973. Brunson played a huge role in the final game. He scored 45 points in Game 5 as the Knicks won 94-90 on the road. He then won the NBA Finals MVP award.
Later on, Smith himself on ESPN’s First Take admitted that he had been wrong about Brunson all along.
“On National television, I owe this man an apology. For the sake of saying, I am grateful for what you have done for this city, what y’all have done for this city. And y you, you won’t be hearing any more doubts from me, my brother. You’re a champ.”
Brunson did not make the moment too serious.
He smiled and replied, “We’ll, we’ll, we’ll see about that. We’ll see about that. We’ll see about that. But, but thank you. Thank you.”
The exchange came soon after Brunson’s championship-clinching performance. The Knicks had finally achieved something the franchise had waited more than five decades to achieve.
The Smith storyline became important because Brunson changed the conversation with his performances.
During the 2025-26 regular season, Brunson averaged 26.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. He shot 46.7% from the field.
His numbers became even bigger in the playoffs.
Brunson averaged 28.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 19 playoff games.
Brunson carried a big part of the Knicks’ offense throughout the Finals. He was the team’s main offensive creator. He was also the player the Knicks trusted in important moments. That is why Stephen A. Smith’s apology became such a memorable part of the championship celebrations.
However, Brunson didn’t just take a shot at Smith. He brought out the Knicks’ slow starts during their postseason run too!
“The first three quarters of the show are going to be godawful. The last sketch is going to be amazing,” Brunson joked. And it doesn’t stop here.
Brunson even brought up Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden in the picture.
“It’s going to be pretty cool to be back in Madison Square Garden, looking around like, ‘Wow, just a few months ago, this was the exact spot where Taylor and Travis got married,’” Brunson joked.
Well Brunson’s comedy game seems to be coming along great too!
Jalen Brunson has already moved past the Championship
There is another interesting part of Brunson’s story. While many people in New York are still celebrating the championship, Brunson says he has already moved on.
During his appearance on Life After the Celebration, hosted by Lindsay Czarniak, Brunson appeared with his mother, Sandra Brunson. There, Brunson opened up about what happens after an athlete finally reaches the biggest goal of his career.
“No one tells you… Everyone talks about the emotion of winning it right when it happens,” Brunson said. “Literally as the buzzer goes off, the rest of the evening, the celebrations in the locker room, everything.”
“No one tells you how long people could really celebrate for. The entire city, I feel like, has been celebrating since that day. Another thing people don’t tell you is that you have to find your own way to flip the switch and figure out what’s next,” Brunson continued.
For Brunson, that switch came after his wrist surgery, when he realized it was time to move on from the celebrations and start preparing for what comes next.
“I’ve wanted to be a champion for a long time. But I didn’t want to let it define me and who I was. This is everything I worked for, but I feel like I’m still working on a lot.”
That mindset makes his Stephen A. Smith joke on SNL even more fitting. Brunson was happy to look back and laugh at the doubts that followed him to New York, but his focus now appears to be firmly on the future.
The Knicks will enter the 2026-27 season as defending champions. Brunson will again play a key role for the team.
What do you think? How far can Brunson take the Knicks after already bringing a long-awaited championship to New York? Let us know in the comments.