Not everyone has a teammate like OG Anunoby, whose Game 4 tip-in won the New York Knicks the contest, as 2026 Emmys host Mariska Hargitay let Jalen Brunson know.

The Knicks' captain made a short and sweet cameo during a pre-taped segment of the Emmys. Hargitay is steaming her clothes, feeling the pressure of being the host of the show.

“It's just a lot of pressure. Have you ever felt like you have millions of eyes on you and it all comes down to one night?” she asks the NBA Finals MVP.

Mariska Hargitay Emmys open "You ever felt like you have millions of eyes on you & it all comes down to one night?"

Jalen Brunson "Seriously?"

Mariska "Jalen it's just me–I don't have anyone to tip it in

"I don't have time to sit around and steam outfits with you. I gotta go" pic.twitter.com/a8tar6IQP3

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 15, 2026

Brunson, who was ironing his jersey and plays to a crowd of nearly 20,000 every night at Madison Square Garden, asks, “Seriously?” with a genuinely confused look on his face.

“Hey, Jalen, it's just me, all right? I don't have anyone to tap it in for me,” she says, which garners a disapproving head shake from Brunson.

She then runs out of the house to get to the airport in time for the opening number. Hargitay tells Brunson to let himself out of her house. This portion of the cold open concluded with Brunson looking confused into the camera.

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Why was Knicks' Jalen Brunson part of Mariska Hargitay-hosted Emmys?

New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson playing against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.

Brunson and Hargitay share a tight friendship. Hargitay even promised that Brunson would appear in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the near future.

Hargitay is a longtime Knicks fan, and she attended several games during the team's postseason run. She was most notably at Game 4 with Taylor Swift and the Haim sisters.

Additionally, Brunson has returned the favor, supporting her at her Broadway show, Every Brilliant Thing. The Law & Order star took over the lead role in the play from Daniel Radcliffe.

Ultimately, Hargitay is best known for playing Olivia Benson in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has starred in the procedural since 1999.