Updated 45m ago
Jalen Brunson Hosts SNL, Gifts Cookies to Camping Fans
Jalen Brunson hosted Saturday Night Live on September 27, joining a list of 36 athletes who have held that role across the show's run.
- 36 athletes have hosted SNL in over 1,000 episodes of the show.
- Past athlete hosts include Charles Barkley, LeBron James, and Travis Kelce.
- $5.75 Levain Bakery cookies went to more than 100 fans waiting outside NBC's studios.
- Fans camped from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday to receive a numbered spot for entry.
Why it matters: Athlete hosts are uncommon. Fewer than 40 have appeared in the role across the show's entire run, spanning decades and more than a thousand episodes.
- Hundreds of fans waited outside NBC's Midtown Manhattan studios overnight for a chance at seats.
How 3 sources split on this story
Source landscape
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Coverage by lean
3 sources · 3 articles · 67% Left coverage
Left coverage, 2 sources: The left frames Brunson's appearance as a sports-culture milestone, cataloguing the full historical list of athlete hosts and contextualizing his place among them.
Right coverage, 1 sources: The right focuses on the fan experience and Brunson's personal gesture, framing him as a generous New York figure connecting with the city.
What’s next: Fans holding numbers above 50 faced uncertainty about getting inside the studio.
- How did Brunson's episode perform in ratings compared to other athlete-hosted episodes?
- Which athlete hosts are considered the most or least successful, and by what measure?