Jalen Brunson has added a new line to his resume: television actor. The New York Knicks star, who guided the franchise to its first NBA championship in 53 years this past June, appeared as a police officer in Thursday's episode of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.'
Brunson's role was a brief one, limited to a single scene opposite series star Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson. His character, Detective Madison, meets with Benson at a café to share information about a suspect he had encountered earlier in his career.
The scene opens with Benson congratulating Madison on his recent promotion from beat cop to detective, noting his new plainclothes look. 'Detective Madison! Look at you out of uniform, huh? Congratulations on the promotion,' she tells him.
Brunson's character then delivers a line that doubles as a wink to his day job on the basketball court: 'I focused on my goals, gave 110%, things worked out.' A smiling Benson answers, 'Yeah, they did.'
From there, Madison fills Benson in on his history with the suspect, and the details he provides help her secure the search warrant she needs. The case of the week centers on the sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl. Brunson's entire appearance runs about one minute.
The cameo grew out of a real friendship. Hargitay, who executive produces 'SVU' in addition to leading its cast, is a devoted Knicks fan and a frequent courtside presence 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,' Hargitay told Variety in June. 'We have so much to learn from his brand of strength.'
As it turns out, Brunson planted the seed for the appearance himself. When asked earlier this year what he planned to do after winning the championship, he joked that he would 'try to get on SVU.' This week, that joke became a one-scene reality.
