Poor weather conditions from Thursday’s atmospheric have already impacted early festivities planned San Francisco’s NBA All-Star Weekend.
Thursday night’s NBA All-Star Tip-Off Party at Thrive City outside the Chase Center was supposed to start at 5 p.m. and include a live performance from P-Lo in addition to viewing of the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Houston Rockets on the big screen and All-Star themed photo opportunities, but the party was cancelled due to the heavy rain forecast.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and representatives from the Warriors were on hand Thursday morning as they marked the opening of NBA All-Star Alley on Powell St. between Market St. and Union Square in downtown San Francisco. The alley is lined with pop-up shops, including one storefront hosted by the Warriors and Valkyries where fans can meet players, take pictures with the Warriors’ championship trophies and get exclusive merch.
It’s official!️
Today was the ribbon cutting for All-Star Alley, located in the heart of San Francisco. The ribbon cutting announced the start of weekend-long festivities across the Bay Area to celebrate the return of All-Star Weekend ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/4ZRHBGMxTg
— Chase Center (@ChaseCenter) February 13, 2025
There will also be live podcast tapings and appearances by NBA players and legends throughout the weekend. Union Square will also showcase a custom basketball court designed by artist Victor Solomon
“It’s not going to be an All-Star event without having a basketball court,” said former Warriors center Festus Ezeli. “We’ll have the Golden State Warriors Academy throwing clinics there. We’re going to have shooting experiences there as well, so bring your jumper.”
The NBA also partnered with the San Francisco African-American Chamber of Commerce to bring 30 small businesses to Powell St.
Organizers said they were hopeful people will still show up to support the restaurants, bars and other businesses at Thrive City like the newly opened Splash sports bar despite the weather.
The soggy weather wasn’t stopping fans visiting from near and far as they gear up for 74th NBA All-Star Game.
“We’re excited to see the whole All-Star experience,” Diego Zanassi, an international NBA fan, told CBS News Bay Area.
He and his friends flew from Mexico for the festivities.
Local restaurants just steps away from Chase Center doors said they hope that despite the rain, fans will come and watch the Warriors play the Rockets Thursday despite the outdoor party getting canceled.
“When people come inside, especially when it’s the hustle and bustle, it’s always a party over here. We love to celebrate, we love to give people food. We love to have a little kickback with everyone,” said Senor Sisig worker Kisakye Sebowa.
“Looking to bring in some music, and good reasons for people to come check us out. We do have a 100-inch tv along with an assortment of other tvs and really fun sound systems,” said Shane Corran, the general manager at Senor Sisig.
He added that they are preparing for a busy weekend ahead with a lot of prep to do.
“A lot of marinating and ordering of chicken wings,” Corran said.
Next door at Gott’s Roadside, staff said they hope the rain encourages fans to come inside to check our their businesses.
“We all have television so we should be well-prepared for it. We’re going to have the channels ready,” said Gott’s assistant general manager Marisol Jimenez.
More information on NBA All-Star Game activities can be found at the official website.
Sooji Nam contributed to this story.
More from CBS News
Dave Pehling is website managing editor for CBS Bay Area. He started his journalism career doing freelance writing about music in the late 1990s, eventually working as a web writer, editor and producer for KTVU.com in 2003. He began his role with CBS Bay Area in 2015.
