Mitchell Wiggins

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Mitchell Wiggins

| image =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lb = 185

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1959|9|28}}

| birth_place = Kinston, North Carolina, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|9|9|1959|9|28}}

| death_place =

| high_school = North Lenoir
(LaGrange, North Carolina)

| college = *Truett-McConnell CC (1978–1979)

Clemson (1979–1980)
Florida State (1981–1983)

| draftyear = 1983

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 23

| draftteam = Indiana Pacers

| career_start = 1983

| career_end = 2003

| career_number = 15, 10

| career_position = Shooting guard

| years1 = {{nbay|1983|full=y}}

| team1 = Chicago Bulls

| years2 = {{nbay|1984|start}}–{{nbay|1986|end}}

| team2 = Houston Rockets

| years3 = 1987

| team3 = Tampa Bay Stars

| years4 = 1987–1988

| team4 = Mississippi Jets

| years5 = 1987–1988

| team5 = Quad City Thunder

| years6 = 1988

| team6 = Jacksonville Hooters

| years7 = {{nbay|1989|full=y}}

| team7 = Houston Rockets

| years8 = {{nbay|1991|full=y}}

| team8 = Philadelphia 76ers

| years9 = 1992

| team9 = Fort Wayne Fury

| years10 = 1992–1993

| team10 = Oklahoma City Cavalry

| years11 = 1993

| team11 = Aurora Desio

| years12 = 1993–1994

| team12 = Milon

| years13 = 1994

| team13 = Tondeña 65 Rhummasters

| years14 = 1994–1996

| team14 = Sporting

| years15 = 1996–1997

| team15 = Panionios

| years16 = 1997–1998

| team16 = Sporting

| years17 = 1998–1999

| team17 = Limoges CSP

| years18 = 2002

| team18 = Hickory Nutz

| years19 = 2002–2003

| team19 = Spearfish Black Hills Heat

| highlights = * 2× Greek League Top Scorer (1994, 1996)

3× Greek League All-Star (1994 I, 1994 II, 1996 I)
2× First-team All-Metro Conference (1982, 1983)

| bbr = wiggimi01

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value =

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value =

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value =

| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{bk|United States}}}}

}}

Mitchell Lee Wiggins (September 28, 1959 – September 9, 2024) was an American professional basketball player who was a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

College career

He played collegiately at Truett-McConnell College, Clemson University and Florida State University.

Wiggins averaged 23 points and nine rebounds per game during his two seasons at Florida State.

Professional career

= Chicago Bulls (1983–1984) =

Wiggins was selected by the Indiana Pacers as the 23rd overall pick of the 1983 NBA draft and traded to the Chicago Bulls for Sidney Lowe and a 2nd round pick. In his rookie year, Wiggins played in all 82 regular season games while averaging twelve points, four rebounds and two assists per game.

= Houston Rockets (1984–1987, 1989–1990) =

In the 1984 off-season, the Bulls traded Wiggins with draft picks to the Houston Rockets for Caldwell Jones. He mostly came off the bench behind John Lucas and Lewis Lloyd. In 1987, Lloyd and Wiggins tested positive for cocaine, incurring a two-and-a-half-year suspension from the league.[https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/14/sports/lloyd-and-wiggins-of-rockets-banned-for-drug-use.html Lloyd and Wiggins of Rockets banned for drug use]; The New York Times, 14 January 1987

Both Wiggins and Lloyd were reinstated for the 1989–90 season.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE7DE133BF93AA3575AC0A96F948260 Lloyd reinstated]; The New York Times, 9 September 1989 Wiggins appeared in 66 games and averaged 15.5 points per game but was criticized by his coach, Don Chaney, for his defense.{{cite news |last1=Sefko |first1=Eddie |title=Chaney rips guard play |url=https://houstonchronicle.newsbank.com/doc/news/0ED7AFC916663C34 |access-date=15 June 2022 |work=Houston Chronicle}} His playing time decreased after Houston traded for Vernon Maxwell.{{cite news |last1=Sefko |first1=Eddie |title=Free agent Wiggins not likely to return |url=https://houstonchronicle.newsbank.com/doc/news/0ED7B00D8CC9CE24 |access-date=15 June 2022 |work=Houston Chronicle |date=June 16, 1990}}

= Philadelphia 76ers (1991–1992) =

After Wiggins became a free agent, no team expressed an interest in Wiggins outside the Philadelphia 76ers.{{cite news |last1=Sefko |first1=Eddie |title=Wiggins nixes test |url=https://houstonchronicle.newsbank.com/doc/news/0ED7B06954D751FB|date=November 15, 1990|access-date=15 June 2022 |work=Houston Chronicle}} They had intended to sign Wiggins to their roster in November 1990, but backed out when he refused to take a complete physical including a drug test.{{cite news |last1=Ford |first1=Bob |title=Physical a factor for club, Wiggins |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=Nov 15, 1990 |page=46}} Wiggins did not play the 1990–91 season, but the 76ers kept in touch with him and signed him to a one-year contract the following year.{{cite news |last1=Jasner |first1=Phil |title=Wiggins signs 1-year contract |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=July 20, 1991 |page=51}}

The 1991–92 season was Wiggins' last in the NBA. He scored 3,877 points in his NBA career.

= Greek League, CSP Limoges, Tondeña 65 Rhummasters, and minor leagues (1993–2003) =

Wiggins then went to Europe and had a notable career in the Greek League playing for Milon Nea Smyrni, Sporting Athens, and Panionios Nea Smyrni. He also appeared for CSP Limoges in the French League, the Tondeña 65 Rhummasters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and several minor league teams in the United States.[http://www.basketpedya.com/player/Mitchell-Wiggins/1523 Basketpedya career data]{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

National team career

Wiggins played for the US national basketball team at the 1982 FIBA World Championship, winning the silver medal.[http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1982.html 1982 USA Basketball] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608152719/http://www.usabasketball.com/history/mwc_1982.html |date=2007-06-08}}

Coaching career

In the 2000s Wiggins tried coaching in the lower leagues.[http://rapidcityjournal.com/sports/local/article_796e64d1-344f-5ab3-bcef-ffed17a0ddb9.html Area scene: Ex-Rocket Wiggins to coach Spearfish XBA]; Rapid City Journal, 29 November 2002{{Cite web|url=http://basketball.usbasket.com/team/Spearfish_Black_Hills_Heat/5439|title = Spearfish Black Hills Heat basketball, News, Roster, Rumors, Stats, Awards, Transactions, Details-usbasket}}

Personal life

Wiggins' wife, Marita Payne-Wiggins, competed for Canada in track and field at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning two silver medals.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/8143593/canadian-prospects-finding-home-ncaa-men-basketball-greater-numbers |title=From Canada to college basketball |first=Myron |last=Medcalf |work=ESPN.com |date=July 9, 2012 |access-date=August 8, 2012}} Since 2002, their family has resided in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada.Dodd, Rustin. [http://www.kansascity.com/2013/12/20/4705269/jayhawks-basketball-prodigy-followed.html KU's Andrew Wiggins followed Naismith's path to Lawrence] The Kansas City Star. Accessed on March 22, 2014. Wiggins' youngest son, Andrew, was selected first overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.{{cite news |title=Dad's hard life lessons helped Andrew Wiggins on road to NBA |url=https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/2014/06/27/dads-hard-life-lessons-helped-andrew-wiggins-road-nba/16664683007/ |access-date=30 June 2022 |work=The Topeka Capital-Journal}} Wiggins' oldest son, Mitchell Jr., played for Southeastern University and his middle son Nicholas Wiggins plays professionally. Both Mitchell Jr. and Nick were drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters in 2014.{{cite news|title=Southeastern Forward Mitchell Wiggins Jr. Selected By Globetrotters|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20140625/SPORTS19/140629502/1341/SPORTS19?Title=Southeastern-Forward-Mitchell-Wiggins-Jr-Selected-By-Globetrotters|access-date=27 June 2014|publisher=The Lakeland Ledger|date=25 June 2014}} Wiggins also has three daughters: Stephanie, Angelica, and Taya.{{cite web|title=Nick Wiggins Bio|url=http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=61183&SPID=2851&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=205717184&Q_SEASON=2013|publisher=Wichita State University|access-date=23 March 2014}}

Wiggins died on September 9, 2024, at the age of 64.{{cite news|first=Jonathan|last=Feigen|title=Mitchell Wiggins, a key player on 1986 Rockets' NBA Finals team, dies|date=September 13, 2024|newspaper=Houston Chronicle|url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/rockets/article/mitchell-wiggins-death-19763582.php|access-date=September 14, 2024|quote=Mitchell Wiggins, a key guard on the Houston Rockets’ 1986 NBA Finals team and the father of Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, died Monday surrounded by loved ones, his family announced. }}

Career statistics

=NBA=

Source{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/wiggimi01.html|title=Mitchell Wiggins NBA stats|website=Basketball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|accessdate=15 September 2024}}