NBA legend Dominique Wilkins announced a new relationship with soccer club Birmingham Legion on Tuesday during an appearance with ESPN First Take.

Birmingham Legion FC confirmed that Wilkins will be an investor in the club.

“It’s not just being a part of a soccer team,” Wilkins said to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, “but seeing a young soccer team come win and win from Day One.

“It’s a tremendous feel that you have in Birmingham, and they’re getting huge crowds down there and they’re getting ready to build a beautiful facility.”

Birmingham Legion FC is in its fifth season and competes in the USL Championship, the second-division of professional soccer in the United States. A grassroots team founded by local businessmen, Legion recently set back-to-back home attendance records competing in the U.S. Open Cup against teams from first-division Major League Soccer. Legion takes on Northern Virginia club Loudoun United at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Protective Stadium. The club has plans for a new practice facility.

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Legion’s relationship with Wilkins signals the beginning of a new era for Birmingham’s soccer club. Wilkins is Legion’s first celebrity investor, and his name adds weight and relevance for Legion both locally and on the national level. Wilkins has ties to Birmingham through Kulture City, the Birmingham-based nonprofit which serves as a national leader for sensory accessibility for individuals with invisible disabilities.

Wilkins is Kulture City’s board chairman. The nonprofit’s board members include musician Jason Isbell, comedian and actor Ken Jeong and sports executive Tony Kahn, among other notable names. Kulture City was founded in 2013 by Drs. Julian Maha and Michele Kong.

“The ultimate goal is to win,” Wilkins said of Legion, “but it’s also building bridges in the birthplace of civil rights and to continue to bring the community together because soccer is a sport that everybody plays. So it’s a great opportunity to not only be a part of the soccer team, but to build those relationships within the city.”

Wilkins has remained an active member in the NBA and pro sports community since starring for the Atlanta Hawks as a player. He is the Hawks vice president of basketball and the color analyst for the Hawks’ television broadcast.

Birmingham Legion is celebrating a banner season for the franchise. The team defeated MLS club Charlotte FC in the U.S. Open Cup and set a club attendance record of over 12,000 fans. Legion then shattered that record a week later when 18,418 fans packed Protective Stadium for Legion’s Open Cup quarterfinals match against Inter Miami CF.

Legion has made the USL Championship playoffs every year since its inaugural season in 2019. Legion (6-1-7) is currently sixth in the USL Championship Eastern Conference after last Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Indy Eleven.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of “We Want Bama”, a book about togetherness, hope and rum. You can find him on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.