Almost a decade into his career, Andrew Wiggins has found his NBA home. As a member of the Warriors, he has found his niche as a two-way swingman beside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
Unlike other years, all of his hard work has been rewarded with a championship and he’s enjoying every minute of it.
“It’s a feeling I can’t describe,” Wiggins said after scoring 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers and racking up six rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks in the 103-90 clincher in Boston. “Every day, that stuff is motivating. That put fire in my eyes. I just wanted to prove everyone wrong. Now I’m a world champion. Everyone is going to have something to say, regardless. Whatever they say, they gotta say I’m a world champion, too.”
“They challenged me. Draymond, Klay, Steph, Andre, all the vets. They challenged me every day; every time I step on the court, they challenge me, and that’s motivational,” Wiggins said. “Those are future Hall of Famers. Whenever they tell me to do something or challenge me, I just want to get it done and prove to them and earn their respect.”
This is personal for Wiggins. After drawing comparisons to LeBron out of college, he joined a broken and dysfunctional Timberwolves team that was never able to bring out his true potential.
But he has thrived in San Francisco, with a team that has given him the pieces to succeed. And now that Wiggins has rediscovered his game, the sky is the limit for him going forward.
While his teammates aren’t getting any younger, Wiggins will likely stay competitive for years as he helps the Warriors transition from one era to the next.
