SNL in 5 (-ty 2)! (CREDIT: NBC/Screenshot)

Jeff “jmunney” Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then reviews all the sketches and segments according to a “wacky” theme.

Let me let you in on a little secret (which is in fact not a secret at all, but rather publicly available information): reigning NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was the official host of the Season 52 premiere of Saturday Night Live. It was an understandable booking, considering that 2026 was the first time that the New York Knickerbockers won the NBA championship since SNL has been on the air.

As for the musical guest that Brunson introduced, that’d be internationally flavored girl group KATSEYE. They don’t have any particular affiliation with the Knicks that I’m aware of, but they do seem to have achieved a noteworthy level of popularity.

Regarding the Review Gimmick for this episode, it will of course be Basketball-themed, so I’ll say things like “Baller,” “Slam Dunk”, or “4 out of 5 Basketballs.”

Trump and Mamdani at Gracie Mansion: This sketch featured a lot of questionable Traveling.

Jalen Brunson’s Monologue: I give this Knick-heavy Q&A session 3 out of 5 Championship Rings.

Office MVP: It’s a good thing that Dikembe Mutombo wasn’t anywhere near this office!

Dream Academy: Assembling the lineup for a girl group often involves many of the same principles as assembling a basketball lineup: discuss.

Men’s Support Group: These fellows felt like all of their shots were getting blocked, and I experienced that rejection vicariously.

High School Musical: The New Generation: This is about the point in the show where you realize that Brunson has been cast as a basketball player in some form or another in most of the sketches and that that makes perfect sense.

Airport Massage Chairs: I would pass on that connecting flight route, but I would assist anyone who is in need of a good massage.

KATSEYE, “Animal”: I give this musical performance 3 out of 5 Mascots.

Weekend Update: The Jokes: The bit about Kristi Noem shooting an elk was surely the biggest Slam Dunk in this edition of the fake news.
Weekend Update: Dario Amodei: You know, I have a weird feeling that Dario Amodei could’ve fit right in on the Knicks in the 1960s. (Nowadays, not quite as much.)
Weekend Update: Tucker Carlson: Jeremy Culhane can really see the whole floor when performing this impression.

Parent-Teacher Conference: It’s like a Full-Court Press out there, but honestly, Ben Marshall’s educator character handled it.

KATSEYE, “Hootie Frutti”: I give this musical performance 3 out of 5 Stadium Concessions.

Shark Tank: This late-in-the-episode sketch achieved a high percentage of successfully making me laugh with the shots that it took.

Locker Room Visit: Eating a big steak right before a big basketball game is probably not a good idea.

Well, the final buzzer has sounded on Brunson and KATSEYE, but SNL still has plenty more of Season 52 left to deliver to us. For example, Dakota Johnson and Turnstile will form the guest lineup for the second episode, so I’ll let you know what I think about that next weekend.