Andrew Wiggins' Parents Are Former Pro-Athletes Details
Who are Andrew Wiggins' parents? The Golden State Warriors' superstar forward hails from sports royalty. Here's what to know about his family.
After a two-month absence, Andrew Wiggins returned to the Golden State Warriors just in time for the 2022-23 NBA playoffs. The forward left the team in mid-February for personal reasons; the Warriors supported him during his long absence, but they're more than excited to have him back as a pivotal piece for the postseason tournament.
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Andrew is one of the best in the NBA — he's naturally a great player and a marvelous athlete, which makes us wonder about his upbringing. Did he grow up around other athletes? As a matter of fact, he did! On that note, keep reading to learn all about Andrew Wiggins' former pro-athlete parents.
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Who are Andrew Wiggins' parents?
On Feb. 23, 1995, Andrew Wiggins was born in Toronto, Ontario; he's the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins and former Olympic track and field sprinter Marita Payne-Wiggins. Mitchell is American, while Marita is a Canadian originally from Barbados — the two met as student-athletes at Florida State University.
Mitchell was selected by the Indiana Pacers as the 23rd overall pick in the 1983 NBA draft — but he never played for the team. Instead, he spent his rookie year playing all 82 regular season games for the Chicago Bulls. During the 1984 offseason, Mitchell signed with the Houston Rockets; he was later banned from the team and given a two-and-a-half-year suspension from the NBA after testing positive for cocaine.
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Mitchell was reinstated for the 1989-90 NBA season, appearing in only 66 games. He soon became a free agent, and no team expressed interest in him outside of the Philadelphia 76ers. Mitchell didn't play the 1990-91 season, but the 76ers signed him to a one-year contract the following year. The 1991-92 season was his last in the NBA.
He then went to Europe and had a notable career in the Greek League.
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As for Marita, she began competing for Canada at the 1979 Pan American Games; she took home a bronze medal with the 4x400-meter relay team. She was a member of the Americas 4x400 meter relay team at the 1981 IAAF World Cup, winning another bronze medal. The following year, Marita won a silver medal with the Canadian team in the 4x100-meter relay team at the 1982 Commonwealth Games.
At the 1984 Summer Olympics, she won a silver medal in the 4x400-meter relay alongside Charmaine Crooks, Jillian Richardson, and Molly Killingbeck. Marita also competed with teammates Angela Bailey, Angella Taylor-Issajenko, and France Gareau in the 4x100-meter relay, winning a silver medal.
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She later led the Canadian 4x400-meter relay team to gold at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, as well as a second silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. Marita, Charmaine, Molly, and Jillian reunited for the 1988 Summer Olympics but failed to finish in the relay final. Shortly after the games, Martia retired from track and field.
In 1991, Marita was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame; 10 years later, she was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. The city of Vaughn, Ontario, named a park in her honor: Marita Payne Park, located in Concord.
Andrew missed 22 games of the 2022-23 season because of his father's health.
After missing 22 games due to personal reasons, Andrew returned to the Warriors on Tuesday, April 3. According to Shams Charania, NBA Insider for The Athletic, the reason for his absence is because his father has been "dealing with a serious medical situation."
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