Jalen Brunson-Mariska Hargitay connection explained: Knicks and Law & Order fans unite

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.)

“That’s my favorite person ever,” Brunson exclaimed after watching the video.

Why is Hargitay Brunson’s favorite? What’s behind the Brunson-Hargitay connection? We got you covered.

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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.”

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Brunson-Mariska Hargitay connection explained