Mitchell Wiggins, the former American professional basketball player and the beloved father of Warriors star Andrew Wiggins, passed away on September 9, 2024, at the age of 64.
Almost a week after Mitchell bid goodbye to the world, his former team, Housten Rockets, announced the tragic news in the media via its Twitter page. The tweet read,
Today we mourn the passing of former Houston Rockets guard Mitchell Wiggins. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.
Via Twitter
It’s been over two months since the tragedy occurred in the Wiggins family, but as of now, the real cause of the demise of Mitchell Wiggins has not been revealed.
The basketball community has lost a Legend. Our hearts are with the family, friends and fans of Mitchell Wiggins.#LegendsForever pic.twitter.com/VO363e4sbz
— NBA Alumni 🏀 (@NBAalumni) September 13, 2024
However, considering the 2023 media reports that Mitchell was suffering some serious medical condition, it’s assumable that the former NBA star’s cause of demise might be some severe disease he had been suffering.
Well, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania first revealed Mitchell’s declining health condition on April 3, 2023, via Twitter while discussing Andrews’ return to the basketball court after about two months of leave.
Meanwhile, Shams had mentioned that Andrew had been on leave since mid-February due to his father’s serious medical condition.
Mitchell Wiggins’ demise left his family in intense grief as his son Nick wrote, ‘This is the worst pain we’ve ever felt’
On September 17, 2024, Mitchell’s son, Nick Wiggins, dedicated a post to his late father on his Instagram, pouring his heart out in a lengthy caption. He wrote,
I been trying to find the right words. The last few days have been very tough. Firstly, I wanna thank God for allowing me to be YOUR son. Lord, thank you for allowing my Dad to live the life of a true KING.
Nick further stated that he has always looked up to his father and always considered him his idol, toughness, strength, confidence, and drive.
He even mentioned that he had always wanted to be like his father Mitchell, and now, since he is no longer in their life, he has left a void in them.
Further mentioning how the Wiggins family coped with the grief, Nick stated, “This is the worst pain we’ve ever felt. But while we grieve down here, we also know exactly what you’d want us to do! KEEP GOING, & DON’T STOP!”
In case you didn’t know
- Mitchell Wiggins was born on September 28, 1959, in Kinston, North Carolina.
- He graduated from North Lenoir High School in LaGrange, North Carolina, and later enrolled at Truett-McConnell College in 1978. Just a year later, he transferred to Clemson University and then to Florida State University.
- His NBA career began in 1983, when the Indiana Pacers selected him in the first round, with the 23rd overall pick.
