As revealed on social media this week, NBA veteran Andrew Wiggins is in mourning as he deals with the tragic news of the passing of his dad, Mitchell. The death was confirmed on Friday after Andrew’s sister posted about the occasion, wishing her father a peaceful rest.
RIP to Andrew Wiggins’ dad, Mitchell Wiggins, a former NBA player who also played in the 🇵ðŸ‡â€™s pro league with the most popular ballclub there. pic.twitter.com/2OZRPK0svH
— alder almo (@alderalmo) September 13, 2024
Mitchell, who was 64 when he passed, played in the NBA for six years before his retirement in 1992. During his stints with the Rockets, Bulls, and 76ers, he averaged 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 46% shooting. He also played in France and the Philippines.
In 1987, Mitchell tested positive for cocaine and was suspended/banned from NBA action for two and a half seasons. That stretch robbed Wiggins of what could have been the best years of his career and by the time he returned in 1989, he was 30 years old. Interestingly, that first season back from suspension was also Wiggins’ best as he’d finish the campaign with averages of 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 48% shooting.
After his final stint with the 76ers ended in 1992, Mitchell was out of the league for good and it wasn’t until over 20 years later that his son, Andrew, would enter the NBA spotlight.
As the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins was on the fast track to stardom as a young athlete coming out of Kansas. He won Rookie of the Year in 2015 before breaking out into a borderline All-Star in the NBA. In 2022, he made his first All-Star team as a member of the Warriors and helped them win the championship with averages of 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 46% shooting.
Last season, things got chaotic in Golden State after Wiggins spent an extended time away from the team for unknown reasons. As the Warriors struggled to win games, Wiggins was nowhere to be seen and offered little in the way of an explanation for his absence. Rumors even began to surface that his partner was cheating on him.
Eventually, it was determined that a personal family matter was keeping Wiggins occupied and we can only assume, looking back, that it had something to do with the health of his dad. Whether it was some gradual decline in his health or simply an effort to reconnect with his parent, Andrew put aside his obligations to the Warriors in order to take care of business with his own flesh and blood.
You can’t blame Wiggins for that, especially since he only had a limited amount of time left with his father, but the absence definitely hurt the Warriors and their chances of winning the title. Now that Mitchell is officially gone, we can expect Andrew to take these next few weeks/months to grieve and heal from this monumental loss.
Whether or not he’ll be ready for the upcoming season is anyone’s guess but losing a loved one is never easy and the Warriors are doing their best to make it easier on their All-Star forward.
Whatever happens, the Warriors will need Wiggs at his best next season if they are to stand a chance against the Western elites. With Klay Thompson gone and Draymond Green on the fritz, it leaves Wiggins as the next one up to take the mantle as Stephen Curry’s sidekick and leading co-star. We will see soon enough if he’s up for the task.
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