{"id":262582,"date":"2026-06-10T23:49:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T23:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/262582\/"},"modified":"2026-06-10T23:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T23:49:08","slug":"we-talked-to-the-brooklyn-funeral-home-hosting-a-knicks-watch-party-for-game-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/262582\/","title":{"rendered":"We Talked to the Brooklyn Funeral Home Hosting a Knicks Watch Party for Game 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Erica Hill, owner of Sparrow Funeral Home <\/a>in Brooklyn, decided to throw a Knicks watch party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals, she had no idea the internet would react the way it did.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever in a million years did I expect that it was gonna go ‘mini viral’ like it has,\u201d she told Sports Illustrated in an interview on Tuesday. \u201cA lot of people think it\u2019s sort of funny and, obviously, I get that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, in all honesty, Hill was never trying to be funny. In reality, she was (and is) just trying to honor the vulnerability of Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has continually paid tribute to his late mother<\/a> following games in the championship series.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you lose a parent, […] you just look for signs, and I\u2019ll take any sign I could get,\u201d Towns told ESPN\u2019s Lisa Salters at the end of Game 2, which ended on a blocked Victor Wembanyama jump shot. \u201cPrayed to her strongly before that [last] possession. […] I take it as a sign my mom was there with me, so I appreciate her so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

The candid nature of Towns\u2019 comments struck quite a chord with Hill, who strives to destigmatize death and grief as much as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I was] thinking about how amazing I thought it was that he is willing to be so open about his grief for his mom,\u201d Hill said of KAT. \u201cWe live in a society that doesn\u2019t necessarily want to talk about grief and death and dying cause people get scared or they don\u2019t know really what to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I was like, you know what? We should have a watch party really inspired by him and, you know, maybe people in our community would wanna come and all be together to watch the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hill initially shared an invite via Instagram on Sunday, ahead of Monday\u2019s Game 3. Since then, her creative proposition has gone somewhat viral, with both well-meaning attendees and chuckling onlookers chiming in on socials.<\/p>\n

\u201cLmao I friggen love New York,\u201d said one Instagram commenter. \u201cLet it be known if we da grab that chip and my heart explodes – get me season Knicks tickets at Sparrow\u2026 tyvm,\u201d wrote another.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t sit around going, \u2018Oh, let\u2019s have a basketball party and everyone\u2019s gonna think that’s so crazy and weird and it\u2019ll take on a life of its own,\u2019\u201d Hill explained. \u201cIt was like, \u2018No, like KAT was just so inspiring.\u2019\u00a0 I was like, let\u2019s do it in honor of his mom and have our own little watch party.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of her count on Tuesday afternoon, Hill said she is expecting around 40 people to attend, which, although modest, is still quadruple the amount she thought she would have originally. Indeed, the former video and film producer initially figured that the handful who might show up would be the ten or so regulars at Swallow\u2019s frequent event programming, which includes comedy shows, doula meetups, and \u201cPostal Service for the Dead\u201d nights, where grievers can write letters to a loved one who has passed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure a lot of people, when they\u2019re picturing a funeral home having a watch party, it\u2019s whatever their experience of a funeral home is, and it\u2019s not really what our place looks like,\u201d Hill added. \u201cWe\u2019re really light-filled, and our walls are painted light colors, and we have art everywhere. It\u2019s much more contemporary feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hill has seen a few negative reactions to her efforts to combine death and grief with community and basketball. For example, after the Knicks were defeated in Game 3, she posted a quippy graphic with the text<\/a>: \u201cWe know a thing or two about loss. See you Wednesday. Go Knicks!\u201d<\/p>\n

In the comments, at least one user claimed to be \u201cdisgusted.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Hill is not discouraged. For one, she believes you have to have a sense of humor around death or else \u201cyou\u2019re not gonna make it through.\u201d<\/p>\n

And for another, \u201cThe Knicks are bringing so much joy the city. Like, just that alone, why wouldn\u2019t you want to participate in more joy?\u201d<\/p>\n

Most importantly, though, she hopes to shine a light on Towns\u2019 bravery in talking about death on his sport\u2019s biggest stage, which is also a rarity for someone in his position.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s like, here\u2019s this guy who\u2019s a premier athlete being vulnerable and willing to talk about how the person that he obviously loves very, very much\u2014and still loves\u2014was still with him. And I think to hear that from somebody like that was just really powerful, and we need more of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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