Wilson says NBA Jam, Super Bowl parade led to him partnering with Sonics group

SEATTLE – If this works out, there’s probably a large statue of Russell Wilson coming to town someday.

The Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback published a piece for The Players Tribune on Tuesday, explaining why he decided to become a business partner in the Sonics Arena Group.
Reason No. 1: NBA Jam.

Wilson said he became a fan of the Sonics when he was a kid, because he had a habit of picking them on the popluar video game, and watching them on ESPN.

“I loved their name," Wilson wrote. "I loved their colors. I loved Kemp and Payton, and then in later years, I loved watching Ray Allen swish corner threes with that perfect form.”

There are deeper reasons for Wilson’s decision, of course. He said he sees sports as a salve to national divisiveness, recalling what he saw from his float during the parade celebrating the Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory.

"I tried to focus on every single face, even though it was impossible to take it all in," he wrote. "I saw people of every race — black, white, brown, everything. I saw men and women. I saw old folks crying. And I saw young kids who had obviously skipped school. All walks of life braved the cold that day just be a part of something.

"All those people had two things in common. They were smiling like it was the happiest day of their life, and they were all one color: bright green."