Jalen Brunson Reveals Text Mariska Hargitay Sent Him After Knicks Won Game 1 NBA Finals

Anna Lazarus CaplanFri, June 5, 2026 at 5:58 PM UTC

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Jalen Brunson, Mariska HargitayCredit: Al Bello/Getty; Dia Dipasupil/Getty -

Jalen Brunson got a special text after the Knicks won Game 1

The NBA star revealed that Mariska Hargitay sent him her congratulations

The two frequently exchange hugs after games at Madison Square Garden

Mariska Hargitay was among the throngs of New York Knicks fans who were elated after Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But few are able to text a Knicks player like she can.

Jalen Brunson revealed to ESPN's Malika Andrews on Thursday, June 4, that the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star sent him her regards following the team's 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

"I don't really remember, but it was more of like 'Good job, congratulations,' " Brunson, 29, told the NBA Today host.

He added with his trademark understatement: "Yesterday was cool, obviously we needed it, but we've got to move on quickly."

When the Knicks play the Spurs in Game 2 on Friday, June 5, the star point guard, his former Villanova teammates Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, and big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson are hoping for a similar outcome to the series opener.

During that game, the Knicks limited Spurs star Victor Wembanyama's impact and stole the game after being down 14 points in the second half.

For Brunson, fourth-quarter heroics — and keeping up with Hargitay — is seemingly part of his game plan.

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In a guest spot on the Roommates Show with Jalen Brunson & Josh Hart last year, Knicks fan Ben Stiller got the scoop about the NBA star's relationship with Hargitay.

"I just remember my dad always watching the show," Brunson told Stiller about his father, Knicks assistant Rick Brunson. "It was like, you just hear the iconic [theme song] 'don-don' all the time in the house. My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud, so you hear it throughout the house."

Jalen Brunson on June 3, 2026 in San Antonio, TexasCredit: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty

"[I] always found myself watching the show and 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," he added.

With the show being a big part of his personal life, Brunson likes to thank Hargitay by acknowledging her when she comes to games. The two have become known for their postgame hugs at Madison Square Garden.

Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE's free sports newsletter — sign up now!Looking back, Brunson recalled the time he first met the actress.

"I've never been like super super like starstruck — super starstruck," he told Stiller. "I saw her, I was like 'Oh s---.' The first time we met, it was awesome. We talked and everything."

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”