Mitchell Wiggins

Mitchell Wiggins

No. 15, 10
Shooting guard
Personal information
Date of birth	September 28, 1959 (1959-09-28) (age 52) Kinston, North Carolina
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Career information
College	Florida State
NBA Draft	1983 / Round: 1983 / Pick: 23
Career history
Chicago Bulls (1983–1984) Houston Rockets (1984–1990) Philadelphia 76ers (1991–1992) Milon BC (1993–1994) Sporting Athens (1994–1996) Panionios BC (1996–1997) Sporting Athens (1997–1998) CSP Limoges (1998–1999)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Mitchell Lee Wiggins (born 28 September 1959 in Kinston, North Carolina) is a retired American professional basketball player, in the shooting guard position.

High school/college career

6'4" (1.93 m) Wiggins attended North Lenoir High School, located in LaGrange, North Carolina. He played collegiately at Truett-McConnell College, Clemson University and Florida State University.

Wiggins averaged 23 points and nine rebounds per game during his two seasons at Florida State.

Professional career

Wiggins was selected by the Indiana Pacers as the 23rd overall pick of the 1983 NBA Draft. He never played for the club, spending his rookie year at the Chicago Bulls, and posting solid numbers (82 regular season games, 12 points, four rebounds and two assists).

In the 1984 off-season, Wiggins signed with the Houston Rockets, fighting for a berth in the starting lineup with Lewis Lloyd. In late 1986, however, after the Rockets appeared in the 1986 NBA Finals, losing to the Boston Celtics, the pair tested positive for cocaine, incurring a two 1/2-year suspension from the league.^[1]

Both Wiggins and Lloyd were reinstated for the 1989–90 season,^[2] but the latter was soon released. Wiggins then enjoyed his best season in the National Basketball Association, appearing in 66 games and averaging 15.5 ppg; he was then also released, and returned two years later with the Philadelphia 76ers, which would be his final year in the league, having scored a total of 3,877 points.

Wiggins then moved to Europe and had a notable career in the Greek League playing for Milon Nea Smirni BC, Sporting Athens, and Panionios Nea Smirni. He also appeared for CSP Limoges in France, played in the Philippine Basketball Association and with several minor teams in his country.^[3]

National team

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
World Championships
Silver	1982 Colombia	National team

Wiggins played for the US national basketball team in the 1982 FIBA World Championship, winning the silver medal.^[4]

Personal

Wiggins' son, Andrew, was regarded as a top prospect at 15 years of age for top-tier collegiate programs in the United States.^[5] His wife, Marita Payne, competed for Canada in track and field at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning two silver medals.

Notes

1. ^ Lloyd and Wiggins of Rockets banned for drug use; The New York Times, 14 January 1987
2. ^ Lloyd reinstated; The New York Times, 9 September 1989
3. ^ Basketpedya career data
4. ^ 1982 USA Basketball
5. ^ Andrew Wiggins: Next superstar?; NBADraft.net

External links

• NBA.com profile
• Mitchell Wiggins at Basketball-Reference.com
• Stats at BasketballReference

Persondata
Name	Wiggins, Mitchell
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	28 September 1959
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death