Mitchell Wiggins, former NBA guard and father of Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins, has passed away at the age of 64, the Houston Rockets announced Friday. The cause of death was not disclosed.
“Today we mourn the passing of former Houston Rockets guard, Mitchell Wiggins. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends,” the Rockets said in a statement.
Wiggins, a 6-foot-4 guard from North Carolina, started his college basketball career at Clemson in 1979 before moving to Florida State, where he became a powerhouse. He averaged 23.8 points and 9.7 rebounds as a junior, and 22.7 points and 8.2 rebounds as a senior, before being drafted 23rd overall in the 1983 NBA Draft.
Wiggins played six seasons in the NBA, starting with the Chicago Bulls, where he averaged 12.4 points per game in his rookie year. He spent 1984-87 with the Rockets and was part of the team that reached the 1986 NBA Finals. After serving a two-year suspension for drug use, he returned for the 1989-90 season, which proved to be his best, averaging over 15 points per game. He finished his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1991-92 and later played overseas.
In 2014, his son Andrew was picked first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year with the Timberwolves. Mitchell expressed his pride in his son’s achievement in 2014, saying, “As a parent and a former player, I’m so proud…he made it happen.”
Mitchell Wiggins is survived by his wife and six children.