(Memphis) A wild weekend puts the Bluff City in the spotlight as thousands pack into downtown Memphis.
The Grizzlies at the Grindhouse were the main event as they took on the Spurs in game three of the Western Conference Finals.
The Grizz aren’t the only thing attracting crowds. The Redbirds played at AutoZone and Memphis in May wrapped up with Sunset Symphony.
There are normally a lot of things going on Memorial Weekend in Memphis, but when you throw in some great weather and the success of the Grizzlies, enthusiasm goes off the charts.
Saturday night, thousands of people packed into Tom Lee Park for the Sunset Symphony. It was capped off by a spectacular fireworks show.
But the party was just beginning as Tom Lee Park morphed into the biggest watch party Memphis has ever seen outside of the Grindhouse.
This is the first time a playoff game has been watched like this along the Mighty Mississippi and it’s because the Grizzlies keep winning. Memphians find that when the Grizzlies do well, enthusiasm for the city spreads.
“The Grizzlies, they’re awesome,” said fan, Deborah Pruitt. “They have done so much in this city and for this city. I am just having a ball. This is exciting. There are so many people. I have walked the park. I’ve had a great time.”
Grizz Nation called game three a must-win. Many planned to release the tension, win or lose, with an after party on Beale Street.