April just began and the love for basketball reached its climax here in San Antonio.
Multiple events such as the National championship for NCAA basketball and the highly packed D’vontay Friga Park takeover have given the sport more love to Alamo City and all basketball fans are loving it. Here is my personal experience watching and experiencing these events roll out.
This year’s March Madness has been incredible, especially for the San Antonians. This year’s final four was held in the Alamodome allowing easier access for the people and a bonus with the celebrities visiting the dome. Many sightings of NBA Hall of Famers such as Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony have been spotted visiting the Alamo. The final four alone have been bringing more attention to the city ever since the Spurs received Victor Wembenyama or when they made it to the NBA Finals.
The tournament itself was amazing on its own bringing the explosive vibes of buzzer-beaters and upsets. The Houston Cougars who have proven themselves as a formidable team lose the finals in a mind-boggling way. With about 19 seconds left against the Florida Gators down by two points, the Cougars dribbled the ball up the court with the game plan of going for the win attempting a three-pointer but all went wrong from there. Guard Emanuel Sharp receives the ball from deep range is getting swarmed by defenders and is forced to make a move within five seconds. He goes up for the shot but is heavily contested so he throws the ball down allowing a turnover causing the game to end in a Florida Gator 12-point comeback.
Besides college basketball, a popular influencer named D’vontay Friga pulled up to Rainbow Park Hills to put on a show that San Antonians will not forget. In order to not disappoint the people with him not playing due to a hip injury, he made sure he brought back up inviting star influencers like CashNasty, Jdub, NBA trainer Jlaw and more. He also snuck in NBA player Lou Williams on to the court and hall of fame Dwight Howard to see the games. Not only that, but to promote the final four Friga’s team pulled in on a hoop bus giving away free shoes and being action-packed to watch.
As someone who went to the park and met many of the guests, it was a surreal experience. It was so overwhelming seeing many NBA players and YouTubers I watched growing up and casually meet them in one singular spot. They were super nice about interacting with fans and leaving no one unsatisfied. The environment was loud and packed but surprisingly under control considering that Friga purposely did not say who the guests were, making it seem as if it was just him and an NBA player to not overfill the park.
I had many great moments at the park like when I met Lou Williams who was hiding from the crowd in front of me and was super cool when I recognized him. I also met Dwight Howard who I will never forget how when he shook my hand his middle finger reached my wrist. Some influencers like Jdub recognized me online, which made it more mind-blowing for me.
Overall, April has been amazing for the sport of basketball and revving the culture here at San Antonio. Now the NBA has to do the rest when the playoffs begin.
