New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson will appear in season 28 of the television series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
The casting follows the New York basketball team winning the National Basketball Association championship on June 13, 2026. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the NBA Finals.
Brunson commented half jokingly during the title celebrations that he would try to secure a role on the police procedural during his vacation. The player's friendship with series star Mariska Hargitay made the remote possibility exist.
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit follows a team of detectives investigating sexually based offenses in New York City. The series, created by Dick Wolf, premiered in 1999 and is the most successful spin-off in the Law and Order franchise.
Hargitay, who has played the protagonist Olivia Benson since the show began, confirmed the cameo. The appearance is expected to be one of the most talked about cameos of the new episodes.
Friendship with series star
Hargitay is a declared fan of the New York Knicks and has a friendship with Brunson.
The actor had previously suggested the possibility of the casting during an interview on the Today television program. She joked during the broadcast that people should not mention that plans were underway for Brunson to feature in the show.
Hargitay definitively confirmed the news to the entertainment publication Variety a few days later. She told the outlet that Brunson's participation in the series would definitely take place.
It is currently not revealed what character Brunson will play in the show or which episode he will appear in. Fans will have to wait to discover if the basketball player will portray himself or take on a role involved in one of the unit's investigations.
The cameo marks a confirmed jump for the star from the NBA courts to one of the longest running series on American television.
NBC renewal and broadcast
The American television network NBC renewed Special Victims Unit for season 28 following strong audience ratings for season 27. The previous season launched on the Peacock streaming service nearly a year ago.
The series came close to being canceled after 26 seasons before NBC executives decided to give the show a new opportunity. The renewal was partly driven by the insistence of fans.
Season 28 will begin broadcasting on United States television in early October with new cases and the sports surprise.
Viewers in Spain can watch the fiction on the SkyShowtime platform. Some seasons are also broadcast on Movistar Plus, Disney Plus, and Netflix.
