Jalen Brunson, who led the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years in June, guest starred as a cop in Thursday’s episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.”
He appears in the episode for one brief scene, meeting up with Mariska Hargitay‘s Olivia Benson to provide information on a suspect he’d had a run-in with in the past. When they first sit down together at a café, she compliments him on his recent promotion to detective after serving as a beat cop.
“Detective Madison! Look at you out of uniform, huh? Congratulations on the promotion,” she says to him. He thanks her, then makes a clear meta-reference to his work on the basketball court: “I focused on my goals, gave 110% — things worked out.” Smiling, Benson replies, “Yeah, they did.”
Detective Madison then briefs Brunson on his experience with the suspect, providing information that allows her to eventually get the search warrant she needs to solve the case of the week, which involves the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. The scene lasts for about one minute.
Hargitay, who executive produces “SVU” in addition to starring, is a big Knicks fan who is frequently seen courtside when the team plays at Madison Square Garden. “I want everyone to throw out every book on leadership they have and replace it with a photo of Jalen,” she told Variety in June. “We have so much to learn from his brand of strength.” Hargitay and Brunson have become friends, and when asked what he’d do next after winning the championship earlier this year, he joked that he’d “try to get on ‘SVU.'”
