Russell Wilson partners with Sonics Arena Group

In a recent tweet sent out on Nov. 14 from Russell Wilson’s official Twitter account @dangerusswilson, the Seahawks quarterback mentioned his new partnership and his hope to bring the Sonics and professional hockey back to Washington state. “I’m excited to announce I’ve partnered with the Sonics Arena Group to help bring the NBA and NHL to the best fan base in the world. Seattle,” he wrote.

The Sonics Arena Group wants to build a new arena to house an NBA and NHL franchise.

Prior to Wilson’s partnership, the Sonics Arena Group was planning on taking a step back from its efforts in order to evaluate future options. An article posted Oct. 25 on the official Sonics Arena website stated that the Seattle City Council denied them a portion of Occidental Avenue South. Despite this bad news, the group insisted they would find a way to take the “critical first step to bringing the NBA and NHL back to Seattle.”

“I think he’s interested and he loves his community and I think he’s interested in being a part of something that’s really special here. We all know or are aware of how dear it is to the hearts of the people around here and Russell would love to be part of something like that,” said Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll at a press conference on Nov. 14.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Wilson said “the positive impact sports has on our kids and many generations to come, and bringing different cultures and people together is what motivates and inspires me.”