South Brooklyn Present: Watching the Knicks on Smith Street

Are we watching history in the making on Smith Street?

This is the first post of a new series called South Brooklyn Present where we will be reporting monthly on a news story happening in South Brooklyn.

The cheers were getting louder as I made my way down Smith Street on Wednesday night for game one of the NBA Finals between our New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Each bar I passed was packed to the gills with fans new and old, this Knicks team has seemingly created basketball fans out of everyone. Finding a spot to watch the game has become harder and harder, as bars have become standing room only. However some fans on Smith Street have created an innovative viewing experience, and as I near the new Prince Street Pizza I spot what I came to Carroll Gardens for, fans watching the game via a tv placed in the back of someone’s car. This might not seem ideal to most, as my couch at home is quite comfy and I do not have to peer over anyone to watch. But this is the freaking NBA Finals, and I want to watch the game in the street amongst the people, damn it.

I grabbed some slices, which were so hot and fresh that my tongue is still burnt as I write this the day after. Prince Street Pizza is a relatively new spot which opened just last month and I am pleased to say they have a pretty good slice. But this isn’t a food review. I found a spot in the back at first which surprisingly allowed me to see the TV well (I’m 5 ‘11 which helps in situations like these). As the first quarter progressed, the Knicks didn’t look amazing and I could feel some nerves within the crowd. There were chairs up front, tv side seats if you will, occupied by diehard Knicks fans from what I could tell, as they reacted to every play. As the quarter progressed more and more people joined the already cramped sidewalk/street, one man telling people to stay out of the bike lane because the police had already warned them about that.

The first quarter came to a close and the Knicks found themselves trailing. The next thing I know a man towards the front stands up on a chair with a bullhorn and tells us it’s going to be okay. He then says that he has printed out 50 t-shirts and begins flinging them into the crowd, pointing at people before he throws a t-shirt at them. I certainly did not expect any end of quarter promotions but it added some life into the crowd.

Living in a city as big as New York City, it can be a challenge to get to know your neighbors. What’s unique about these impromptu watch parties is that they have really connected people with their community. This party wasn’t the only one on Smith Street, as down the street at the Smith and Union Street bodega the owner also set up a tv outside, adding to the cheers that echoed down Smith Street. I spent the second half of game 2 on Friday night watching the game there with some friends and it was just as good as the watch party outside of Prince Street Pizza. Strangers are becoming friends while cheering on the Knicks, an added bonus to this unbelievable ride we are on. Sports can unite us and I fully believe that no matter what happens, this Knicks team will have done more for New York City than any other in history.

The Knicks dominated the second half and the crowd came alive. There were times where the crowd cheers at some of the surrounding bars meshed together to create a roar comparable to being in the arena. It was a party unlike anything I have witnessed in this part of Brooklyn, one that was just the right amount of rowdy as onlookers cleared the road whenever there was a car. The police occasionally stopped by to check out what was going on quickly before driving away to tend to more serious matters. Everyone was having a grand time.

As the Knicks closed out their first NBA Finals win since 1999, chants echoed through the streets while cars honked their horns. At the end of the game a man played Frank Sinatra’s Theme from New York, New York as we all sang at the top of our lungs. It felt like we were kings (and queens) of the hill, a number one’s. There’s no better place to watch this historic run than Smith Street.