Erica Hill, founder of Sparrow funeral home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is hosting a watch party for Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC after being moved by Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns’ public comments about his late mother, according to ESPN.
The Knicks’ postseason run has produced watch parties across New York City, from Coney Island to the Bronx to Central Park. Sparrow’s event, Hill said, grew out of a deeper impulse than simply gathering to watch a game. Hill told ESPN that Towns’ openness about feeling his mother’s presence during the series resonated within the “end of life world” on Instagram and inspired the funeral home to offer a communal space.
Towns has spoken repeatedly about his late mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, who died in April 2020 from COVID-19 complications. He lost six other family members in 2020 to the virus, and during the Finals he described sensing a comforting presence. After an 18-point, 12-rebound performance in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, he said a feeling of calm and peace “had to come from the woman above,” according to ESPN.
During Game 2, with the Knicks needing a stop to secure a win, Towns said he prayed to his mother and viewed Mitchell Robinson’s defensive stop on Victor Wembanyama as a sign of her presence. He told ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he feels his mother’s presence “a lot,” adding that he looks for signs, prays and sometimes dreams of her.
Hill, who opened Sparrow four and a half years ago and has lost both parents herself, said many families she works with seek similar signs. She posted the watch-party details on Instagram and expected about 15 people; by Tuesday afternoon 60 had reached out and the funeral home planned to cap attendance near 120, according to ESPN. Neighbors and families Sparrow has served have RSVP’d, and Hill said she intends to create a board where attendees can note who they are watching for in the Knicks center’s honor.
