SAN FRANCISCO – No sports franchise identifying as family friendly would stand between a player and his care for his actual family. So, the Warriors excused Andrew Wiggins’ multiple absences over the last two seasons. As much as they wanted him on the court, they didn’t dare try to persuade him away from his priorities.
His family. Specifically, his father. Former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins.
“I’ve looked up to him since I was a little kid,” Andrew Wiggins tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s the reason why I play basketball.”
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Despite prolonged medical care, Mitchell Wiggins passed away on Sept. 9. The father of six was 64 years old. His legacy continues through his widow, his children and grandchildren. Andrew, the youngest of three sons, is the one under the brightest public spotlight.
Mitchell Wiggins spent six seasons in the NBA, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. He played another 10 years overseas, playing in France and Greece and the Philippines. Even with the extended time away, his sons all caught the basketball bug. Mitchell Jr. played in college. Nick played at Wichita State and continues to play overseas. Andrew happens to be the tallest and most talented.
Andrew was in middle school when he realized he could compete with his brothers and begin pushing his father. He was a few inches away from his eventual height of 6-foot-7.
“Growing up, I watched him play and watched my older brothers play, and I just followed in their footsteps,” Wiggins says, adding this his 6-foot-4 father “stopped playing me once I got big.”
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Not necessarily because Mitchell couldn't handle his son. The father was a low-turnover combo guard known as a ferocious defender. His smarts and grown-man strength might have been enough to lock up teenage Andrew, but dad had another plan.
“I think he could have,” Wiggins says. “But at that point, he just wanted to teach me things and show me things. He was always in the gym with me.”
Wiggins felt his father slipping away almost two years ago. Each time his father’s health turned grave, he knew what he had to do. He had to be there for his father and his family. Which meant in-season absences from the Warriors.
Priorities.
Besides, Wiggins, struggling to focus on the court, was better comfort for his family than help for his employer.
“There’s been times when basketball was not on my mind at all,” Wiggins concedes. “For me, it’s always God first, then family and then basketball. That’s how I look at my life.”
Wiggins believes the beast within, rarely seen but spectacular when it surfaces, is ready for a revival. He still feels the ache of his dad’s absence but knows there is nothing more that he can do to provide solace or prolong his life.
He knows it’s time to get back to being a full-time hooper. And his coach senses it.
“I think he feels it,” coach Steve Kerr says of Wiggins. “He worked really hard in the offseason. I think there's a little bit of closure with his dad passing. And as difficult as everything has been over the last couple of years in that regard, I just think that when you lose someone, especially after a struggle, I think there's a little bit of a feeling of relief because that person isn't struggling anymore. And that alone allows a person to free himself up. And I and I can speak to that from experience. I think that's a factor.”
Wiggins missed 56 games over the past two seasons. He appeared in 71 of Golden State’s 82 games last season, but his defense was well below his standard and his offensive statistics dropped off dramatically. He averaged 13.2 points per game, with field-goal percentages lower than any time since being acquired by the Warriors at the February 2020 NBA trade deadline.
“Whenever you have a down year, you want to come back and show people what you can do,” Wiggins says. “You want to go out there and give everyone a ‘friendly reminder.’ Last year? I just want to toss it in the garbage and start over.
“I’ve been striving, this whole summer, and in training camp to be the best I can be. I’m going to keep working toward it. Every day. Every game. Going to give it my all and leave it on the floor.”
Wiggins arrived on time for training camp, which opened only three weeks after his father’s death. Wiggins was ill for the first week, however, and only now starting to approach his desired conditioning level. He played in the last two preseason games and looked on the verge of readiness.
Mentally, though, is where there seems to be no doubt about his approach. His concentration is back where it was three years ago, when he made the NBA All-Star team.
“I trust Wiggs,” Kerr says. “It's been a tough last year and a half for him, for a number of reasons, but this is a guy who has won a championship and played an enormous role in that championship. He’s been a 20-point scorer in the league. We know what we can do, and I think we're going to get a really good version of him this year.”
Wiggins admits that occasionally, during “random moments,” he will peek the 2022 postseason, which ended with the Warriors winning the NBA Finals. He was superb at both ends, outplayed only by Stephen Curry, who was named Finals MVP.
That was peak Wiggins.
At 29, that peak still should be attainable. It would be particularly timely this season. With All-Star Weekend coming to the Bay Area, another trip would provide a measure of validation.
“It was a great experience, a great feeling to be acknowledged as an All-Star in a very competitive league – and a very competitive Western Conference,” Wiggins says of his 2022 experience. “Just to get back to that level of play is something I want. And I know I’m capable of it.”
Wiggins is seeking redemption. His mind is clear, his body able. There is no doubt he feels the presence of his father, one of his biggest cheerleaders. Yes, another All-Star Game appearance would be special. Almost as special as another star turn in the postseason.