Bay Area fans attend NBA All-Star Weekend
SAN FRANCISCO (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - NBA All-Star Weekend brought a lot of fans to the Bay Area over the weekend. In San Francisco, some businesses and neighbors say they saw people out enjoying it.
Hours before game time, NBA fans stopped by Thrive City to take a look. All eyes are on San Francisco as it's the Bay Area's chance to shine.
"In the Bay Area with the All-Star Game? Oh yeah, please, and the Super Bowl is coming too, so yeah definitely," said Johnny Hill, a Richmond resident.
The NBA All-Star Game took place Sunday night at Chase Center, but All-Star Weekend was filled with events and festivities on both sides of the bay.
Simon Streets is with Magical Donuts at Park Lab Gardens, and says there were plenty of customers for Valentine's Day Friday, and they've only kept picking up steam.
"In the afternoon, the NBA fans started drifting in and Saturday...[it was] full on NBA fans," Streets shared.
"It's been huge. It's been such a difficult time for small businesses here in San Francisco since the pandemic," said Erica Robles, Head of Growth with Spark Social SF, a food truck park, community gathering space and event space. "Events like this, where there is really positive light being shed on San Francisco, a lot of these small businesses are really feeling it, and they're you feel a sense of gratitude in the air, but there is also a sense of energy in the air, where we want to keep this momentum."
It's in the Mission Bay neighborhood within walking distance of Chase Center.
"We also have a really awesome activation going on with the National Basketball Players Association for All-Star Weekend, and we have the NBA 2K Hoop Bus that's out here," Robles added.
Another neighbor, Navneedh Maudgalya, noticed the increase in foot traffic throughout the weekend and thinks it's a positive sign.
"I think there is a ton more foot traffic, especially in the evening. Certain pockets of the downtown that are quiet, are dead at night...a lot more livelier much more excitement...There is a lot more people out and about it was great to see the city kind of back on its feet," Maudgalya expressed.
