A statue was unveiled in honor Lenny Wilkens.

Your day Lenny and it is exciting to be here with you. To kick us off or in this case tip us off here at climate pledge Arena. I’d like to welcome up Olivia Martinez. She is a member of the Quinault tribe to sing us. What is called an honor song. She’s also a rise above ambassador. Thank you, Chris. Coquille antonisa wheelocks. It is truly my my pleasure to sing this honor song in commemoration of Coach Wilkins. So, thank you coach Wilkins. Without further ado Hello and knowing hey, honey, honey. And no no and hey, I had no way, honey. Hello and know when they are and no way, honey. Hello, and hey. Yeah, and knowing hey, honey. Honey, I wouldn’t say yeah andll Hello and know when they Can always Tell Chrome. Well, that was beautiful. Thank you so much an appropriate way to tip us off as you put it there Chris Chris and I are thrilled to be here for this historic occasion this unveiling of the statue and you will hear this as a recurrent theme and it was something we have talked about a lot just the fact Lenny that you became the celebrity because of your work in the basketball world, but then what you did after that and in the communities is what matters to us so much. So, thank you so much. We are very lucky that Lenny and Maryland decided to call Seattle home, right? We’re very lucky for that love that he’s here alongow. And I think I buried the lead. I think a lot of people remember Lenny as well for the 1979 Seattle supersonic NBA champions. The only championship for the Seattle Sonics and that franchise I think is a lot of people here in this city believe there are a lot of elected officials. I’m not going to tell you all of them that are here, but it gives you an idea of the magnitude of this moment. You can see the governor. Bob Ferguson is here. There is another Governor Jay Inslee that is here in the list goes on and on but I want to give you an idea of just the impact that Lenny’s had on the basketball Community because there are a lot of people who have come to town just for this moment in time. The television personality 14 time or 14-year NBA veteran Steve Smith is here. Number 43 the guy from Illinois Wesleyan University You got to love them from Parks and Recreation and yours Seattle Sonics debt is here. He was smooth with that three-pointer Dale Ellis. The pride of Curtis High School and the University of Washington it Isaiah Thomas is here. Spencer Hawes. He’s the tallest guy standing around right here. I think I can see him somewhere period he doesn’t want to stand up. Eldridge for casner a lot of people just call him ease right there wearing his anniversary t-shirt. Mack 10 Nate McMillan the coach Donald watts is here, of course slick. Played for Lenny there. He is Donald Watts Rodney Stucky the pride of Eastern Washington University long time NBA player is here as well. There’s so many people here. As is John Gray. Also veterans Desmond Mason you remember him from the slam dunk title? He tells me he can still slam. And last but certainly not least. It is great that Marlon Shelton is here with his family Lonnie Shelton’s son. A great list of people here today, and we would not be standing here without the generous support of the organizations and individuals that have made this statue possible right now. We like to thank the state of Washington the city of Seattle in a small group of private donors Who had who have made this a reality. In context we already talked about how historical this is for the city of Seattle for our state, but there are less than 20 players in NBA history. So a tremendous honor and congratulations. And now we hear from the elected officials first up the governor of the great state of Washington Bob Ferguson. Thank you Chris. I’ve got a question. Do we love Lenny Wilkins here in Seattle? Aa little loud or do we love Lenny Wilkins here in Seattle? Now look you just heard how rare a statue is for an NBA player and right here. There’s only one first statue that gets to go up. There’s only one first and it is appropriate entirely appropriate at that first statue goes to the Godfather of the Seattle SuperSonics. as a coach who inherited a five and 17 Seattle Sonics team and turn them into the world champions everybody. significant to a community and to an individual and their family and all of us that’s important. , But But I think we can all agree that is even more important and more significant to be Hall of Famer as a human being and that is Lenny Wilkins everybody. and the Next Generation, please thank him just as much for all that hard work that he’s done for our community. And I’ll just say the only thing that could make the unveiling of the statue even sweeter is when and this will happen thousands and thousands of Seattle Sonic fans return here for the return of the Seattle SuperSonics right here in Seattle. And when those fans come in some may be of younger Generations, but when they see that statue, they will come to know Lenny Wilkins the way we all do for generations to come. As the inspirational person. He’s been from Humble up bringing to where he is today with that. He’s had a story political career, but I think for today he won’t mind if I introduce him as the starting center for the 1969 Ingram Rams who won the Washington State High School basketball championship. Well as a three-term governor say Washington, I think I’m entitled to say this. We have three things that represent the best of state of Washington the world class and known for what how they’ve led the world how they have compassion for their citizens how they raise their heights of their community and so many different ways those three icons of the state of Washington or Mount Rainier the Space Needle and coach Lenny Wilkins, we can say that I go way back with the coaches being a Stripling ball player and got to play in this gym, or did I mention that we beat the Garfield Bulldogs when you see the mayor hair you might want to remind him of that. But after that, I you know, I got my tryout with the sonics and got my meeting with Coach lick the Wilkins at that time and And he had to take me into his office and say, you know, I did just I can’t get you on the sonics roster. And I said you’re terrible. I mean You are really terrible. You have no future whatsoever. And I looked him right in the eyes and I said coach Wilkins that may be the case, but the day will come when I help unveil the statue to you of Seattle’s icon. That’s today. I’ve been Vindicated in this regard. There’s so much to say about Coach. So I got to add something about. What I’ve come. He Unleashed Uptown Odessa Brown Clinic. And that’s Lenny Wilkins. He Unleashed that clinic. And I want to know you wonder where that Spirit comes from from a guy like Lenny Wilkins. Who took advice from Jackie Robinson? Right. They got number 42. We got number 19. Who made history? But he got more advice from his mother and if you listen to him talk about his life and I read a little bit about his days in the courts in Brooklyn. All right, and those useful days he talks a lot about his mother, Henrietta. And he talks about what Henrietta did to Fashion his character integrity commitment to the people around him. And I’d like a round of applause for Henrietta Wilkins for what she’s done for Seattle. Through you Lenny And now Lenny is doing the same thing giving them spirit and this institution. I’ve seen him help fight chemical Addiction on the disquality tribe. I’ve seen the progeny worshiping him on the courts to raise this next generation, and I can’t wait for that happy day when we will not only have this statute, but we will announcement.