Millions of New York Knicks fans took to the Canyon of Heroes in New York City to celebrate the 2026 NBA champions, and actress Mariska Hargitay had maybe the best view of all.
Hargitay, 62, joined friend and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson on one of the floats that carried the Knicks players from the southern tip of Manhattan to city hall. Jalen’s father, Knicks assistant Rick Brunson, was also with them, along with Jalen’s wife, Ali Marks Brunson, and the couple’s 23-month-old daughter, Jordyn.
Mariska’s son, August, joined her on the float, wearing a custom “Marknickska Hargitay” shirt in the same style as the viral Alana Haim-designed shirts that she, Mariska and Taylor Swift wore during Game 4 of the Finals.
Video shared via social media showed Mariska dancing as the float made its way up the parade route, throwing a t-shirt into the crowd in the process.
Other celebrities at the parade included Timothée Chalamet, Martha Stewart, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan and a host of former Knicks players.
A diehard Knicks fan, Mariska has developed a friendship with the Brunson family. Her self-described sprint from her own Broadway show to Madison Square Garden for Game 4 has become part of the story of the game itself, in which the Knicks erased a 29-point deficit to win in the final seconds.
“I love my husband, and our wedding night was great and all, but I think it might have been the greatest night of my life,” Mariska told The Hollywood Reporter about the experience. “The game was so brutal, down 29 at the half, but I’m telling you, to watch this team fight and claw their way back — to see that look in Jalen’s eyes — there are just endless life lessons in there.”
As for Jalen, 29, he’s a longtime fan of Law & Order: SVU, which Mariska has starred in since 1999. Ali, 30, told Us Weekly earlier this month that she fully supports their friendship.
“I really love it. It’s captain meets captain,” she said, referencing Hargitay’s Olivia Benson character. “I know that’s so cheesy.”
She added, “He watches SVU religiously, for years and years. To see her be a fan and then they’re able to meet, she’s a wonderful human. We’ve shared so many experiences together. It’s been really fun.”
Jalen recalled during a past episode of “The Roommates Show” podcast, which he cohosts with teammate Josh Hart, how his dad got him into SVU.
“You just hear the iconic [theme song] ‘dun-dun’ all the time in the house,” he said. “My dad also watches the TV incredibly loud, so you hear it throughout the house.”
Jalen continued, “[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.”
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