Major Wingate

Leon Wingate
Born	(1983-11-10) 10 November 1983 Florence, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	2 October 2021(2021-10-02) (aged 37)
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2006–2010

Major Leon-Legrant Wingate (November 10, 1983 – October 2, 2021) was a professional basketball athlete from the United States. Wingate initiated his high school basketball journey at Wilson High School, where during his junior year he posted averages of 15 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks per game. For his final year in high school, he transferred to North Gwinnett, earning a position among the nation’s top 50 players in the 2003 graduating class and securing the rank of the 10th-best center prospect.

He competed at the collegiate level with the Tennessee Volunteers until his dismissal in 2006 due to a breach of the team’s substance abuse regulations. Following this, Wingate sought to advance his professional career internationally while preparing for the NBA draft. Despite going undrafted, he participated in tryouts with the Sacramento Kings but was unable to obtain a roster spot. His professional playing career included engagements in Greece, Turkey, China, France, and Romania. In 2009, he was drafted in the second round of the inaugural NBA Development League draft by the newly established Springfield Armor franchise.

Early life

Wingate was born in Florence, South Carolina to Terri Eaddy-Wingate. He began his high school education at Wilson High School before transferring to North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia for his senior season. At North Gwinnett, he averaged 17 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks per game. His achievements included being named a finalist for the 2003 McDonald's All-America team and earning second team All-Class AAAAA honors. Additional accolades were first team All-Gwinnett, GACA Region 8-AAAAA Team of the Year, and recognition from the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Team of the Year. He participated in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association North/South All-Star Game and led North Gwinnett to an impressive 26–4 record and an "Elite Eight" appearance in the state tournament, concluding the season ranked sixth statewide.

Early on in his basketball development, Wingate attended the renowned ABCD Camp following eighth grade and garnered MVP and MIP honors at the Adidas All-Star camp. He contributed to the Global Select team's silver medal finish at the 2003 Global Games held in Dallas. His high school coaching staff included Ralph Nunn at North Gwinnett and Tommy Johnson at Wilson.

Freshman Year

During his freshman season at Tennessee, Wingate earned the Lowell Blanchard Award for being the most improved player on the team. Demonstrating strong defensive skills, he secured a starting role in 15 of Tennessee’s last 16 contests. Throughout those starts, he matched or surpassed his personal scoring records on four occasions and finished second on the squad with a total of 18 blocks. Notable performances featured eight points and three assists against South Carolina; nine points against both Auburn and Alabama during the SEC Tournament; along with significant contributions versus Kentucky and Texas A&M. Wingate recorded his first collegiate points with a stat line of four points, four rebounds, and three steals against Tennessee State.

Sophomore Year

In his second year, Wingate appeared in 30 games and started eight times, averaging 5.0 points overall and increasing to 5.6 points during SEC competition. He came off the bench first on nine occasions and averaged 8.6 points along with four rebounds when starting games. His most remarkable outing occurred against Louisville where he set career highs with 13 points, eight rebounds, and played a season-high 35 minutes; this was followed by a strong performance scoring 14 points against seventh-ranked Kentucky. His initial start of that season was recorded at Florida.

Junior Year

Serving as team captain, Wingate started in 29 out of 30 contests and once again shared the Lowell Blanchard Award. He was the third-leading scorer on the squad, averaging 10.6 points per game, while leading the team with a 55.6 percent shooting accuracy overall and an impressive 58.4 percent in SEC matchups. His career total of 70 blocks ranks him 13th in Tennessee’s history, with 32 blocks this season placing him second on the team. During two NCAA Tournament appearances, he averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds, setting school records in the tournament with five blocked shots and five offensive rebounds against Wichita State. Wingate reached double-digit scoring in 20 games this season, a significant increase from just three times in his first two years combined. Notable performances include a career-best 18 points with flawless free-throw shooting against Eastern Kentucky and a defensive effort that limited LaMarcus Aldridge to four field goals at Texas. Despite dealing with a foot injury, he contributed 12 points and three blocks in the matchup with Louisiana-Lafayette.

Greece/Turkey

Following his departure from Tennessee, Wingate briefly competed in the Greek Basket League for Makedonikos, appearing in four games where he averaged 26 minutes, 10.6 points, four rebounds, and one assist per contest while shooting 56.4 percent from the field and 62.3 percent from the free throw line. He subsequently moved to the Turkish Basketball League to play for Tofas Bursa, participating in 23 games and averaging 26 minutes, 6.6 points, and six rebounds per game, with shooting percentages of 49.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from free throws. A highlight came against Pınar Karşıyaka, where he posted 18 points alongside seven rebounds. By season’s end in Turkey, Wingate accumulated totals of 170 points, 146 rebounds, and 16 assists.

China

Wingate transitioned to China’s Chinese Basketball Association by joining Shanxi Zhongyu, competing in 29 games with an average of 27 minutes per outing. He produced averages of 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while reaching career-best shooting efficiencies: 64.8 percent from the field and 64.2 percent on free throws.

France/Romania

Wingate signed with UJAP Quimper 29 in France’s second division but appeared in only five games, averaging 17 minutes, 6.6 points, and 2.6 rebounds per contest. While visiting his wife in Târgu Mureş, Romania, he was recruited by a local coach to join BC Mureş competing in Romanian Basketball Division A. Over 19 games there, he achieved career-high averages of 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting an efficient 57.9 percent from the field and converting 60 percent of his free throws.

Wingate quickly endeared himself to fans due to his dynamic athleticism and defensive presence; he led the league in rebounds, blocked shots, and double-double performances. Among his personal records were a game featuring 17 rebounds and a memorable crowd-pleasing 360-degree dunk.

Springfield

Selected in the second round by the newly established NBA Development League team Springfield Armor, Wingate joined after missing preseason activities and the opener because of personal matters. In his second appearance, he delivered an impressive performance with 17 points and nine rebounds on efficient shooting (5–7 FG, 7–8 FT), earning player of the game recognition despite a team loss.

Known for his relentless energy and enthusiasm on court, Wingate quickly became a fan favorite but unexpectedly departed from the team late January. The Armor officially waived him on January 26, 2010; coach Dee Brown notably acknowledged his absence when addressing fans’ inquiries.

Personal life

Wingate was recognized as a member of the National Honor Society and earned the Who's Who Scholarship Achievement Award. Additionally, he served as a coach for the San Diego Bulldogs AAU basketball team based in Carmel Valley, San Diego, California.

He died on October 2, 2021, at the age of 37.