Jalen Brunson has a lot of fans. As the savior of the New York Knicks franchise, Brunson has turned himself into one of the most popular figures in New York sports history. Along for the ride on the the Knicks path to glory has also been a laundry-list of superfans.
One of those die-hard fans, planted firmly in the Brunson corner, is Law & Order star, Mariska Hargitay. While longstanding Knicks fans include the likes of Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and many more, Hargitay and Brunson seemed to have created a special bond over the past few years.
A special postgame tradition has turned into a Brunson-Hargitay hug session, usually right on the court within minute of the game’s final buzzer. And with Brunson and the Knicks recent championship success, he’s become one of the most wanted men in all of sports.
Mariska Hargitay Drops Jalen Brunson-‘SVU’ News
Hargitay, having acted in, directed, and produced more than 600 episodes of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 1999, appears to have a collaboration in mind with the NBA Finals MVP.
Immediately following the Knicks championship win, Brunson shared one his wishes with the world.
“Try to get on SVU!” Brunson said.
Earlier this week, Hargitay was in attendance for the HBO Max Emmy Nominee Celebration. And she was asked by Variety’s, Marc Malkin if a script had been written for Brunson.
“Oh, it’s happening. It’s definitely happening,” Hargitay responded.
Hargitay went on to continue praising Brunson, as she appears to be one of his biggest fans. She was also asked if Brunson had requested a specific role on the show.
“He’s kind of magnificent that way. He is just open and ready. I don’t think there’s much that Jalen can’t do,” Hargitay said.
Brunson-Hargitay Are Each Other’s No. 1 Fans
Hargitay has been a self-proclaimed Knicks fan for quite some time. As the Knicks made their run through the 2025-26 NBA playoffs, she was constantly seen sitting courtside in support of Brunson, and the team.
But the fandom isn’t a one-way-street. Yes, Hargitay was seen on the Brunson family parade-float during June’s Knicks championship parade, but Brunson was also in the crowd for one of Hargitay’s performances as well.
On June 26, Brunson attended Hargitay’s Broadway play, “Every Brilliant Thing”. Brunson and his wife, Ali, were seen in the crowd, and even took pictures with Hargitay and her husband backstage after the show.
Towards the end of the story, Hargitay’s character sifts through a box, pulling out items from her list. For that specific show, one of them happened to be Brunson’s Knicks jersey. She dubbed the list entry “No. 555,555: Knicks in Five.”
Brunson has always spoken extremely highly of Hargitay and “SVU”, recalling childhood memories in the process. On a previous episode of his podcast, “Roommates Show”, Brunson recalled his father, Rick Brunson being a huge fan of “Law & Order”.
“I just remember my dad always watching the show. You just hear the iconic ‘dun-dun’ all the time in the house. I’ve always loved that show,” Brunson said.
Knicks Superfan Mariska Hargitay Confirms Exciting Jalen Brunson News