Very few entertainment programs have had the longevity of Saturday Night Live. It’s brought in celebrities from the world of film, music and sports.
The sketch comedy show enters Season 52, and New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson is set to host the NBC late-night program for the first time.
SNL has had countless well-known athletes take the stage at its Rockefeller Center studio over the years. That includes NFL champions like Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton became the first sports figure to host the show in 1977, which has sparked a flurry of other notable athletes since.
Athletes from the world of boxing, MLB, NBA, NHL, WWE and the Olympics have gained notoriety on the comedic show, such as LeBron James, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Michael Phelps and Wayne Gretzky.
MORE: NBA star Jalen Brunson drops funny ‘SNL’ promo before hosting debut
2026 NBA champion makes hosting debut
Brunson’s reaching maximum popularity now as he starts to dabble in other areas off the court. The Knicks superstar enters a new era as he aims to set several pop culture milestones.
The former college basketball standout is close friends with Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay. The two have teased a potential cameo on the hit NBC show in recent months, which makes sense with the timing of Brunson’s SNL appearance.
Brunson becomes the first current or former NBA star to earn the hosting gig since Charles Barkley in 2018. The highly-entertaining Inside the NBA pundit has hosted the NBC show four times throughout his career.
Here’s the full list of athletes that have hosted SNL throughout the last five-plus decades.
MORE: Taylor Swift ‘Cleveland’ lyrics: Every reference to Travis Kelce, wedding day
Every SNL athlete host in the show’s history
| Athlete | Episode | Air date | League/Sport |
| Fran Tarkenton | Season 2, Episode 13 | Jan. 29, 1977 | NFL |
| O.J. Simpson | Season 3, Episode 12 | Feb. 25, 1978 | NFL |
| Bill Russell | Season 5, Episode 3 | Nov. 3, 1979 | NBA |
| John Madden | Season 7, Episode 10 | Jan. 30, 1982 | NFL |
| Bob Uecker | Season 10, Episode 2 | Oct. 13, 1984 | MLB |
| Alex Karras | Season 10, Episode 12 | Feb. 2, 1985 | NFL |
| Hulk Hogan | Season 10, Episode 15 | March 30, 1985 | WWE |
| Marvin Hagler | Season 11, Episode 17 | May 17, 1986 | Boxer |
| Billy Martin | Season 11, Episode 18 | May 24, 1986 | MLB |
| Joe Montana | Season 12, Episode 9 | Jan. 24, 1987 | NFL |
| Walter Payton | Season 12, Episode 9 | Jan. 24, 1987 | NFL |
| Carl Weathers | Season 13, Episode 10 | Jan. 13, 1988 | NFL |
| Wayne Gretzky | Season 14, Episode 19 | May 13, 1989 | NHL |
| Chris Evert | Season 15, Episode 5 | Nov. 11, 1989 | Tennis |
| Michael Jordan | Season 17, Episode 1 | Sept. 28, 1991 | NBA |
| Charles Barkley* | Season 19, Episode 1 | Sept. 25, 1993 | NBA |
| Nancy Kerrigan | Season 19, Episode 15 | March 12, 1994 | Figure skating |
| George Foreman | Season 20, Episode 9 | Dec. 17, 1994 | Boxing |
| Deion Sanders | Season 20, Episode 13 | Feb. 18, 1995 | NFL & MLB |
| Dwayne Johnson* | Season 25, Episode 15 | March 18, 2000 | WWE |
| Derek Jeter | Season 27, Episode 11 | Dec. 1, 2001 | MLB |
| Jonny Moseley | Season 27, Episode 13 | March 3, 2002 | Olympic skiing |
| Jeff Gordon | Season 28, Episode 9 | Jan. 11, 2003 | NASCAR |
| Andy Roddick | Season 29, Episode 5 | Nov. 8, 2003 | Tennis |
| Tom Brady | Season 30, Episode 17 | April 16, 2005 | NFL |
| Lance Armstrong | Season 31, Episode 4 | Oct. 29, 2005 | Cycling |
| Peyton Manning | Season 32, Episode 16 | March 24, 2007 | NFL |
| LeBron James | Season 33, Episode 1 | Sept. 29, 2007 | NBA |
| Michael Phelps | Season 34, Episode 1 | Sept. 13, 2008 | Swimming |
| Eli Manning | Season 37, Episode 11 | May 5, 2012 | NFL |
| Ronda Rousey | Season 41, Episode 11 | Jan. 23, 2016 | UFC & WWE |
| John Cena | Season 42, Episode 9 | Dec. 10, 2016 | WWE |
| J.J. Watt | Season 45, Episode 12 | Feb. 1, 2020 | NFL |
| Travis Kelce | Season 48, Episode 14 | Mar. 4, 2023 | NFL |
| Jalen Brunson | Season 52, Episode 1 | Sept. 26, 2026 | NBA |
Several figures like The Rock and Barkley have appeared on several episodes. The two notable figures have combined for nine hosting appearances.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —