Mitchell Wiggins
Mitchell Wiggins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mitchell Lee Wiggins 28 September 1959 |
| Died | 9 September 2024 (aged 64) |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1983–2003 |
| Known for | NBA shooting guard, played for Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers |
Mitchell Lee Wiggins (September 28, 1959 – September 9, 2024) was an American professional basketball athlete who played as a shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
College career
Wiggins competed at the collegiate level for Truett-McConnell College, Clemson University, and Florida State University. During his two seasons at Florida State, he posted averages of 23 points and nine rebounds per game.
Chicago Bulls (1983–1984)
Selected 23rd overall in the 1983 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers, Wiggins was promptly traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Sidney Lowe and a second-round draft pick. In his debut season, he participated in all 82 games, averaging 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists each contest.
Houston Rockets (1984–1987, 1989–1990)
During the 1984 offseason, the Bulls traded Wiggins along with draft picks to the Houston Rockets in return for Caldwell Jones. Serving mainly as a reserve behind John Lucas II and Lewis Lloyd, his career faced a setback in 1987 when both he and Lloyd tested positive for cocaine use, leading to a suspension from the NBA lasting two and a half years.
Following reinstatement for the 1989–90 season, Wiggins appeared in 66 games and averaged 15.5 points per game. However, coach Don Chaney criticized his defensive efforts. After Houston acquired Vernon Maxwell, Wiggins’ playing time diminished significantly.
Philadelphia 76ers (1991–1992)
Upon entering free agency, Wiggins received interest solely from the Philadelphia 76ers. Although initially set to sign with them in November 1990, the deal was rescinded when he declined to undergo a comprehensive physical examination including a drug screening. He did not play during the 1990–91 season but later secured a one-year contract with Philadelphia for the following year.
The 1991–92 season marked Wiggins’ final NBA campaign, ending his professional tenure with an accumulated total of 3,877 points scored.
Greek League, CSP Limoges, Tondeña 65 Rhummasters, and minor leagues (1993–2003)
Wiggins extended his basketball career overseas by competing in the Greek Basket League for Milon Nea Smyrni, Sporting Athens, and Panionios Nea Smyrni. Additionally, he played for CSP Limoges in France’s LNB Pro A, joined the Tondeña 65 Rhummasters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and participated with several minor league teams across the United States.
National team career
Wiggins represented the United States men’s national basketball team at the 1982 FIBA World Championship, where he earned a silver medal.
Coaching career
During the 2000s, Wiggins shifted focus to coaching roles within lower-level basketball leagues, including a stint with the Spearfish Black Hills Heat.
Personal life
Wiggins was married to Marita Payne-Wiggins, a Canadian track athlete who secured two silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Since 2002, their family lived in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Their youngest son, Andrew Wiggins, was chosen first overall in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mitchell Jr., their eldest son, competed at Southeastern University, while their middle son Nicholas plays professionally; both were selected by the Harlem Globetrotters in 2014. Wiggins also had three daughters named Stephanie, Angelica, and Taya.
He passed away on September 9, 2024, at age 64.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | style="background:#cfecec;" | 82* || 40 || 25.9 || .448 || .241 || .742 || 4.0 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .1 || 12.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | style="background:#cfecec;" | 82* || 24 || 19.2 || .484 || .261 || .733 || 2.9 || 1.5 || 1.0 || .2 || 9.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 78 || 0 || 15.4 || .454 || .083 || .729 || 2.0 || 1.3 || .8 || .1 || 6.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 32 || 19 || 24.6 || .437 || .000 || .754 || 4.2 || 2.4 || 1.4 || .1 || 11.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 66 || 52 || 28.1 || .488 || .000 || .810 || 4.3 || 1.6 || 1.3 || .0 || 15.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 49 || 0 || 11.6 || .384 || .000 || .686 || 1.9 || .4 || .4 || .0 || 4.3 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 389 || 135 || 20.8|| .460|| .192|| .755|| 3.2|| 1.6|| 1.0|| .1||10.0
Playoffs
|- | style="text-align:left;" | 1985 | style="text-align:left;" | Houston | 5||0||9.0|| .500|| –|| –|| .8|| .2|| .8|| .0||3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 1986 | style="text-align:left;" | Houston | style="background:#cfecec;" | 20*||0|| 22.2|| .497|| .000|| .750|| 3.8|| 1.6|| .7|| .2|| 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 1990 | style="text-align:left;" | Houston | 4||0||12.8|| .467|| –|| .667||3.3|| .5|| .3|| .0||4.0 |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |29||0||18.6|| .495|| .000|| .742||3.2||1.2|| .7|| .1||8.0