Madison Square Garden’s coveted Celebrity Row would normally leave anyone starstruck, offering up plenty of A-list sightings from Spike Lee to Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Kylie Jenner, Bad Bunny and Timothee Chalamet. But New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson has only been left awestruck by one celebrity.
That person is (don-don) Mariska Hargitay, longtime star of the hit TV show “Law & Order: SVU.”
“I’ve never been like super, super starstruck. I saw her and I was like, ‘Oh, (wow),’” Brunson said during a May 4 episode of his “The Roommates Show” podcast, which he hosts alongside teammate Josh Hart. “Then, the first time we met, it was awesome, we talked and everything.”
A friendship between Brunson and Hargitay has been brewing since he donned royal blue and orange. The two shared a hug after the Knicks’ 108-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 11, which Hart called a rarity. (“I’ve seen you not hug your wife after some losses,” Hart joked.) In February, Hargitay announced Brunson’s All-Star selection with a special video, where she congratulated “one captain to another.” (Hargitay has played Olivia Benson, captain of the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit, since 1999.)
Why is Hargitay Brunson’s favorite? What’s behind the Brunson-Hargitay connection? We got you covered.
Jalen Brunson grew up watching ‘Law & Order: SVU’
Brunson’s fandom dates back to his early days of watching TV with his father Rick Brunson, a former NBA player who serves as an assistant coach for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson recalled his dad used to blast the volume in the house.
“I remember my dad always watching the show and you just hear the iconic (theme song) ‘don-don’ all the time,” Brunson said. “I always found myself watching the show. Honestly the older I got, the more I watched, the more I see now I’m like, ‘I’ve seen that episode,’ I’ve seen so many different episodes.”
Brunson said he incorporates “Law & Order: SVU” into his pregame ritual, especially during his time with the Dallas Mavericks (2018–2022) when his schedule permitted.
“At one point when I got into the league, I wanted to restart. So I started from Season 1 and watched all the way through,” Brunson said. “It’s like a pregame show for me. I watched it, before I took my nap. That’s when I was in Dallas. … I’ve always loved that show.”
Mariska Hargitay is Jalen Brunson’s ‘favorite’
Brunson and Hargitay have shared numerous courtside interactions since he joined the Knicks in 2022. Most recently, Hargitay attended the Knicks’ 115-93 Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics. (The Kicks went on to win the series, 4-2.) Brunson has repeatedly said she’s the celebrity he’s “most excited to see sitting courtside at (Madison Square Garden).” When asked which non-basketball related guest he would love to have featured on the podcast in April, Brunson responded without hesitation, “Mariska Hargitay.”
The feeling is mutual. During a sitdown with Interview Magazine in September, Hargitay recalled meeting Brunson at a Knicks game, admitting that’s the last time her kids thought she was cool.
“(My son) August and I were at a Knicks game, and after the game, Jalen Brunson beelined over to talk to me,” Hargitay said. “The next time we went, we were going into the game and Jalen wanted to meet with me, and he gave me a jersey and signed it, and then he recently, I think in People, said that I was his favorite.”
Ben Stiller, other Knicks fans jealous of Mariska Hargitay
Brunson’s love of Hargitay has drawn the playful ire of other celebrity Knicks fans.
Actor Ben Stiller, a Knicks superfan who frequents games at Madison Square Garden, was a guest on “The Roommates Show” podcast in early May and said “the love that Mariska Hargitay gets from (Brunson) postgame is the envy of every other Knicks fan, Knicks celebrity fan.” Brunson said the frequency in which he sees Hargitay in comparison to Stiller adds to it. “I expect to see (Stiller) there all the time, but this is her first or second game this year. So I’m not going to see her for a long time, so I’m just going to say hi and go,” Brunson said.”I guess I got to come to less games,” Stiller responded, while Hart added, “Make him appreciate you more.”
News
“You Want to Shut Me Up? No Way — I’ll Fight You!” Stephen Colbert Reportedly Plotting MSNBC Move After Late Show Axed by CBS TV Shake-Up Sparks Media Frenzy as Colbert Refuses to Go Quietly — Is a Network War Brewing? In a bold and defiant statement, Stephen Colbert broke his silence following CBS’s shocking cancellation of The Late Show. “They think they can silence me — they’re wrong,” he said, hinting at a potential jump to MSNBC. Insiders say this could ignite one of the biggest media rivalries in recent history.
In a seismic move that has rocked the entertainment industry, CBS announced the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,…
“I won’t let them bury the truth just because it’s messy.” — Stephen Colbert In a jaw-dropping twist that’s shaking late-night TV, comedy icon Stephen Colbert is preparing a blistering comeback after CBS abruptly canceled The Late Show. The stunning cancellation came only days after Colbert publicly torched the network for issuing what he called a “big, fat bribe” — a $16 million hush-money payout he claims was meant to silence him and bury a corporate scandal. Now, Colbert is refusing to back down, hinting at a fight that could expose secrets CBS never wanted the public to know.
“I won’t let them bury the truth just because it’s messy.” — Stephen Colbert In a jaw-dropping twist that’s shaking…
Stephen Colbert’s wife breaks the silence — exposing the secrets her husband had kept hidden for 17 years and never dared to speak out… and America isn’t ready to hear it
That was the first sentence. Soft. Controlled. Delivered like a confession, not a headline. But what followed — what unfolded…
Tim Allen and Richard Karn Declare War on “Woke” Comedy with Bold $1 Billion CBS Sitcom
Los Angeles, CA — After years of watching comedy tread carefully through the minefields of political correctness, two familiar faces are…
“UNBELIEVABLE!” — Stephen Colbert Launches New Talk Show, Teams Up with Jasmine Crockett After CBS Exit: A Bold Move That Shakes Late-Night to Its Core!
In a move that has stunned fans and industry insiders alike, Stephen Colbert has officially announced his return to television—but not in…
Stephen Colbert cost CBS up to $50 million a year pushing woke comedy, while Sydney Sweeney casually sent American Eagle’s stock soaring 10%, adding $200 million in value just by showing up in denim.
CBS Faces Financial Fallout from Late-Night Choices CBS has reportedly been losing up to $50 million annually due to Stephen Colbert’s approach…
End of content
No more pages to load
