EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Knicks' NBA Finals run has touched every inch of New York City. From Coney Island to the Bronx to Central Park, watch parties have become as much a part of the postseason as a Jalen Brunson clutch bucket.And in some cases, watch parties held in venues that you would never expect ... even in New York.Erica Hill, the founder of Sparrow, a funeral home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is hosting one for Game 4 of the Finals (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC). But its origins come from a place deeper than a typical watch party.Hill was inspired by Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, who has said that he feels the presence of his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, during the series."In a way I felt like I was seeing her in the stands and it was just fun. It was really fun. It was really comforting. ... I don't know," Towns said. "It felt like a certain presence was here that was very comforting and very loving."Cruz-Towns died in April 2020 due to COVID-19 complications. Towns lost six other family members in 2020 because of COVID.Towns' comments spread on Instagram in the "end of life world," Hill told ESPN."Because all we do here is deal with people who are and support people who are grieving," Hill told ESPN. "So that's really, he was the impetus. We would never be having a watch party if he hadn't been so open and talking about his mom."Following an 18-point, 12-rebound performance in the Knicks' Game 1 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Towns spoke about a sense of calm and peace that "had to come from the woman above."With the Knicks needing a stop to win Game 2, Towns said he prayed to his mother. When Knicks center Mitchell Robinson stopped Victor Wembanyama to secure the victory, Towns said he saw it as a sign that his mother was there.He expanded further to ESPN's Malika Andrews in an interview Monday, saying that he feels his mother's presence "a lot.""It's kind of unexplainable. I'm always looking for signs. I pray, I go to sleep and I have a dream with her or just something that resonates with her," Towns said. "And I always feel her presence."Hill says both of her parents have passed, and she'll "still sort of talk" to her father, who died in 2001. She opened her funeral home four and a half years ago and has worked with families who look for signs of their loved ones, similar to Towns.The six-time NBA All-Star's comments really resonated with her, she said."I thought a lot about that, and just how, here's this guy who is arguably one of the best athletes in the country, being very open and vulnerable about wanting his mom with him," Hill said. "And to me, that's basically ... he's talking about his grief, and that's not really a common thing, especially for men."On Sunday afternoon, two days after the Knicks won Game 2, Hill texted her colleagues to get thoughts on a potential watch party before deciding to go for it. She posted information about the watch party Monday on Instagram, prompting a widespread reaction."It's been pretty bananas," Hill said.She thought it would be 15 people at most to RSVP, most of whom she probably already knew. As of Tuesday afternoon, 60 people had reached out about attending. Hill admitted they'd likely have to cap the invites to 120 people.Neighbors are stopping by, as well as families the funeral home has served, which is particularly special for Hill.Hill has a feeling that naturally conversations will hover to family members who loved the Knicks, like Hill's own father. She hopes to put together a board for people to share who they are watching for in honor of the Knicks center."It's lovely for us to have a light shown on us. ... To me it's not just like, 'Oh, let's have a watch party at Sparrow because we have projectors and we can do it,'" she said. "It really came from somewhere else. And it's clear from at least some of the people that have RSVP'd that they were really happy to have a place to go with other people who potentially are grieving."She explained that people in the end of life community, including herself, believe it's extremely healthy for people to talk more about loved ones who have died. There was something about listening to Towns speak openly, especially during one of the highlights of his career.But Hill didn't sense sadness when he reflected about his mother. She sensed joy."Here he is, I'm going to assume, dealing with a lot of grief, which is heavy," Hill said. "But yet he still goes out there and he does his job, which is playing basketball. And then his mom is like this comfort and inspiration. ... I think it's pretty inspiring. It really has resonated with a lot of people, not just me."On Wednesday, they'll cheer and hope their loved ones -- past and present -- can guide Towns and the Knicks closer to basketball immortality.
