NBA star accepts Roman Reigns’ WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event invitation

Jalen Brunson WWE
Jalen Brunson appears on WWE SmackDown in 2024. (Image credit: WWE)

One of the biggest stars in the NBA will be in the building for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend.

WWE confirmed this morning that New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson will be appearing alongside World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns at the July 18 edition of SNME. Brunson was the MVP of the 2026 NBA Finals and will be returning to Madison Square Garden this Saturday in front of the Knicks’ hometown fans.

To set up the appearance, WWE had Reigns send out a tweet inviting Brunson to the show.

“The OTC. The King of New York @jalenbrunson1 The Mecca …. MSG @TheGarden,” Reigns wrote. “Let’s have the whole world ACKNOWLEDGE us at @WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event!”

Brunson then responded: “See you there.”

This SNME episode is taking place during the same weekend as Fanatics Fest, so it’s possible other Knicks players or sports luminaries will be in attendance. Fanatics is advertising photo ops and autographs with the Knicks championship team as part of the convention.

Brunson is a big WWE fan, has appeared on SmackDown before, and was interviewed on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast earlier this year. He won’t be able to play any kind of a physical role at SNME as he’s recovering from a post-season wrist surgery.

SNME streams live on Peacock starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time this Saturday. Reigns does not have a match announced for the show.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (July 18) —

  • CM Punk & Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn & Gunther
  • Danhausen vs. JD McDonagh
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Brie Bella & Paige defend against Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)
  • Roman Reigns & Jalen Brunson appear
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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.