Wolves Assistant Coach Jack Sikma Raises 12th Man Flag At Seahawks Game
Timberwolves assistant coach Jack Sikma had the honor on Sunday of raising the ceremonial “12th Man Flag” at the Seattle Seahawks game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Before each game at CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks invite a guest to raise the flag that signifies the impact their fans have each game through their energy and noise.
[CLICK HERE to watch Jack Sikma’s interview with Seahawks.com]
Sikma knows very well how Seattle fans rally around their teams. He played nine seasons with the SuperSonics from 1977 through 1986 and helped Seattle win the 1979 NBA title over the Washington Bullets. Sikma was a seven-time All-Star with the Sonics and had his No. 43 retired in Seattle in 1992.
“I really enjoyed my time in Seattle, especially the championship team,” Sikma told Seahawks.com on Sunday. Great memories there. The [Seattle Center] Coliseum maybe wasn’t quite as loud as CenturyLink, but it was pretty close.”
The 12th Man Flag tradition began in 2003 to signify the Seahawks’ true home field advantage, and it was initially hoisted by season ticket holders prior to kickoff. The No. 12 itself is retired by the Seahawks as a tribute to their fans, similar to how the Minnesota Wild retired the No. 1 as a tribute to their fans.
Sikma is entering his third year as a Wolves assistant under Rick Adelman. During his 14-year NBA career with Seattle and Milwaukee, Sikma averaged 15.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He finished his career with 10,816 career boards, which ranks 30th all-time.
He returned to Minnesota this week to begin preparation with the rest of the team’s staff for Timberwolves Training Camp, which begins Oct. 1 at Minnesota State University-Mankato.