Bronny James was not even in the building, but he still caught a stray on the New York Knicks’ biggest night in decades. Tracy Morgan, the former “Saturday Night Live” star and lifelong Knicks fan, took a shot at the Los Angeles Lakers guard during NBC’s coverage of the team’s championship celebration at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

“Bronny look like he got JUCO ball written all over him,” Morgan said.

The comedian was suggesting that the 22-year-old belongs in junior college basketball rather than the NBA. Morgan was in a feisty mood throughout the segment, making it clear he had no plans to hold back.

“I just want to say what I feel,” Morgan said. “You’re going to cry tonight, that’s what I want to see. I want to see a tear in your eye.”

did Tracy morgan diss BRONNY WTF HELL NAH pic.twitter.com/u5N2cZKSx1

— MAL (@MindOfBron) October 20, 2026

The timing of the jab was hard to miss. The Knicks received their rings and raised their championship banner before opening the season against the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed LeBron James this summer. The four-time NBA champion was making his regular-season debut with Philadelphia at MSG, putting his son squarely in the conversation. There was no immediate word on whether LeBron heard the comments.

New York earned that banner by beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals, claiming its first championship in 53 years.

Bronny, meanwhile, is entering his third season with the Lakers after being selected 55th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. His preseason did little to quiet his critics. He scored 11 total points on 26.7% shooting across four exhibitions, going 1-of-7 from three with 12 turnovers in nearly 70 minutes, according to The Comeback.

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Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not sugarcoat it, saying Bronny “didn’t play well” during the preseason. Redick noted, however, that Bronny had “good practices” and that his role and group were not setting him up for success. Bronny still made the Opening Night roster.

The clip of Morgan’s comments quickly went viral, drawing nearly 200,000 views within hours. Neither Bronny nor the Lakers have responded.

Bronny will get his first chance to answer the critics when the Lakers open their season against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.