Mitchell Wiggins, a former NBA player who played for the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers across six seasons and the father of Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, has passed away at the age of 64.
Wiggins’ daughter, Angey, confirmed Mitchell’s passing on her Instagram account.
The National Basketball Retired Players Association shared this news on its official account.
In addition to his six NBA seasons, Wiggins, who was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the 23rd pick in 1983 out of Florida State and immediately traded to the Bulls for Sidney Lowe, played professionally in Europe and had a total of 20 seasons as a pro.
His most successful NBA season was in 1989-90 when he averaged 15.0 PPG & 4.3 RPG on 49% shooting in 28.1 MPG. He also played in the 1986 Finals with the Rockets, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.
The following year, Wiggins, along with teammate Lewis Lloyd, was suspended for two years after failing a drug test and choosing not to undergo treatment, which would have lifted the two-year ban. Despite this setback, Wiggins made a remarkable comeback and had his best season after being away from the NBA for two full years.
Wiggins, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, was known for his midrange jumper and ability to drive into the lane, although not as tall or athletic as his son Andrew.
Over the past two seasons, Andrew Wiggins has taken multiple leaves of absence to attend to personal matters. He faced criticism when he missed 25 games in 2023 without a disclosed reason.
It is now evident, and has been for some time, that Mitchell’s health was deteriorating, and Andrew was by his side. The Warriors showed unwavering support for Wiggins during his absences from the team.
following sentence using different words:
Original: She decided to go for a walk in the park to clear her mind.
Rewritten: She chose to take a stroll in the park to refresh her thoughts.