With Game 4 of the NBA finals, Knicks fans are headed to bars, watch parties and even a funeral home in Greenpoint.
Sparrow Funeral Home in Greenpoint is hosting a watch party for Game 4. Owner Erica Hill says she was inspired by hearing Knicks player Karl-Anthony Towns talk about his late mother.
"Karl-Anthony Towns spoke about feeling like his mom was in the stands in the audience watching him, and that how anyone who's ever lost a parent is always looking for signs that they're there with them. And that really resonated with me,” said Hill. “Watching this elite athlete being so open about his grief, I feel like he gives permission for other people talking about people in their lives who have died.”
The nature of the event has stirred social media buzz and the funeral home leaned into it with an Instagram post. The funeral home says “they know a thing or two about loss” as fans hope for a Knicks revival for Game 4.
"We deal with loss here with death. But you know, you can grieve the end of a relationship. Losing a basketball game, losing a job that you thought you were going to get or you had for a long time. Like, there's grief can show up in different ways," said Hill.
She's expecting around 150 people, with some there in spirit as well.
"We're expecting people whose family members we have taken care of who are really excited to come. And their person loved the Knicks, and they think their person would think that it was kind of amazing that they could come here and cheer the Knicks on," said Hill.
Wednesday night is the only night the funeral home is hosting the watch party.