Former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins, the father of Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, died Monday at the age of 64. Wiggins’ daughter, Angey, confirmed Mitchell’s passing on her Instagram account.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association posted this message on X: “The basketball community has lost a Legend. Our hearts are with the family, friends and fans of Mitchell Wiggins.”
Wiggins, who was born in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sept. 28, 1959, played collegiate basketball at Truett-McConnell College, Clemson University, and Florida State University.
The basketball community has lost a Legend. Our hearts are with the family, friends and fans of Mitchell Wiggins.#LegendsForever pic.twitter.com/VO363e4sbz
— NBA Alumni 🏀 (@NBAalumni) September 13, 2024
As a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, he averaged 23 points and nine rebounds per game during his two seasons at Florida State. Wiggins was then selected 23rd overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 1983 NBA draft before spending his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls.
Wiggins spent six seasons in the NBA and played for the Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers. His final year occurred with the Sixers during the 1991-92 season.
“Today we mourn the passing of former Houston Rockets guard, Mitchell Wiggins,” the Rockets said in a statement on Friday. “Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.”
Mitchell Wiggins played in the 1986 NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets against the Boston Celtics
In 389 career NBA regular-season games across six seasons, he averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 20.8 minutes per contest while shooting 46% from the field, 19.2% from 3-point range, and 75.5% at the free throw line.
While with the Rockets, in Houston’s 134-106 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 16, 1986, he recorded a career-high 30 points on 13-of-18 (72.2%) shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 (66.7%) at the foul line.
His best NBA season came in 1989-90, when Wiggins averaged career highs of 15.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 28.1 minutes per game. He also shot career bests of 48.8% shooting from the field and 81% at the line.
Today we mourn the passing of former Houston Rockets guard, Mitchell Wiggins. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/2CPttV6nzR
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) September 13, 2024
Additionally, he played in the 1986 NBA Finals with the Rockets, who lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.
The following year, Mitchell Wiggins and teammate Lewis Lloyd were suspended for two years after failing a drug test and electing not to volunteer for treatment. That would’ve negated the two-year ban.
In addition to his six NBA seasons, Wiggins played professionally in Europe and totaled 20 seasons as a pro. Among the international clubs he played for include Milon, Tondeña 65 Rhummasters, and Panionios.
Over the past two seasons, Andrew Wiggins has taken multiple leaves of absence with the Warriors to deal with a personal matter. He missed 25 games in 2023, and it was unclear at the time why he was absent for over a quarter of the season.
Fans knew it had to have been for a logical reason: Mitchell’s health was in decline and Andrew was with his family. The Warriors were fully supportive of Wiggins during his time away from the team.
