Former NBA star Mitchell Wiggins has died at the age of 64, according to a statement from the Houston Rockets.
Wiggins, who also played for the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted in the first round by the Pacers in 1983, is the father of current Golden State Warriors star Andrew Wiggins.
No details have yet been released on the circumstances surrounding his death, but the Houston Chronicle reported that he died on Monday ‘surrounded by loved ones’.
In early 2023, Andrew missed multiple NBA games because his father was dealing with a ‘serious medical situation’, according to reporting at the time from The Athletic‘s Shams Charania.
On X, the Houston Rockets wrote: ‘Today we mourn the passing of former Houston Rockets guard, Mitchell Wiggins. Our sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.’
Mitchell Wiggins watches son Andrew alongside his Olympian wife Marita Payne
Mitchell played six seasons in the NBA, including time with the 76ers (pictured in 1991)
His son Andrew is an NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors (pictured in April 2024)
Mitchell’s son Andrew is an NBA champion with the Warriors, winning the title in 2022 and going on to sign a four-year $109million contract.
Mitchell was a regular attendee at his son’s games alongside his wife Marita Payne, a two-time Olympic silver medal athlete for Canada.
The pair had six children in total, made up of three boys in Andrew, Nick and Mitchell II, and three girls in Stephanie, Angelica and Taya.
Mitchell played six seasons in the NBA, averaging 10.3 points in 21 minutes per game for the Houston Rockets between 1984 and 1987.
Alongside his wife and six children, Mitchell is also survived by sisters Linda Faye Johnson, Bettie Wiggins and Sylvia Wiggins, brothers Hazard and Danny, and three grandchildren.
