Seahawks' Russell Wilson: Sonics were 'part of my childhood'

As a child, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson became a fan of the Seattle SuperSonics by playing a video game. Now he's attempting to bring the Sonics back to the Emerald City in real life.

Wilson, 27, announced Monday he was joining hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen's investment group that aims to build an NBA/NHL arena in Sodo. On Tuesday, Wilson wrote about why he joined the group for The Players' Tribune.

In the essay, Wilson explained how his affinity for the team grew out of playing the iconic "NBA Jam" video game franchise.

"I became a SuperSonics fan by playing 'NBA Jam' and watching them on 'SportsCenter' and 'NBA Inside Stuff,' Wilson, who is a senior editor at the site, wrote. "I loved their name. I loved their colors. I loved (Shawn) Kemp and (Gary) Payton, and then in later years, I loved watching Ray Allen swish corner threes with that perfect form."

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Wilson bemoaned the fact that kids in Seattle can't have the same type of experience he did with the team, which moved to Oklahoma City in 2009.

"It's crazy to me that kids growing up in Seattle now turn on 'NBA 2K' and they can't even play as the Sonics," he wrote. "It doesn't seem right that they're gone. They were a part of my childhood, and I grew up 2,840 miles away."

That's why Wilson joined Hansen's Sodo group on Monday.

"To me, this is about more than nostalgia," he wrote. "We live in divisive times, and sports have a way of bringing people closer together. They allow us all -- children and adults -- to use our imaginations and dream. I want kids in Seattle to grow up dreaming of playing basketball or hockey for their hometown team."

You can read Wilson's essay in its entirety on The Players' Tribune here.

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