Andrew Wiggins's Biography

Andrew Wiggins Canadian professional basketball player biography

Andrew Wiggins is a Canadian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Wiggins was born on February 23, 1995, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins and former Canadian Olympic track and field sprinter Marita Payne-Wiggins.

Andrew Wiggins grew up in a family of athletes. His father Mitchell Wiggins played for six seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia 76ers. His mother Marita Payne-Wiggins was a sprinter who won two silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Andrew's older brother, Nick, also played college basketball for Wichita State and Gonzaga.

Growing up, Andrew Wiggins attended Vaughan Secondary School in Vaughan, Ontario, where he played high school basketball for three seasons. In his senior year, Wiggins averaged 23.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.5 assists per game, leading his team to a 44-1 record and an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) AAAA championship. Wiggins was named the tournament's most valuable player, and he was also named the 2013 Naismith Prep Player of the Year, the Gatorade National Player of the Year, and the Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year.

After high school, Andrew Wiggins had his pick of top college basketball programs. He ultimately chose to attend the University of Kansas, where he played one season for the Jayhawks. In his freshman year, Wiggins averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, earning him the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award and a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. Despite his individual success, the Jayhawks were upset in the second round of the NCAA tournament by Stanford, and Wiggins declared for the NBA draft shortly thereafter.

In the 2014 NBA draft, Andrew Wiggins was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal for All-Star forward Kevin Love. In his rookie season with the Timberwolves, Wiggins averaged 16.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, earning him the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Wiggins continued to improve in his second season, averaging 20.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, but the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs.

In the 2016-17 season, Andrew Wiggins signed a five-year, $148 million contract extension with the Timberwolves, becoming the highest-paid Canadian athlete in history. Wiggins continued to put up impressive numbers, averaging 23.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in the 2016-17 season, but the Timberwolves once again missed the playoffs.

In the 2017-18 season, Andrew Wiggins saw a slight dip in his numbers, averaging 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. However, he did record his first career triple-double in a win against the Toronto Raptors on January 20, 2018. The Timberwolves made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Rockets.

In the 2018-19 season, Andrew Wiggins continued to struggle with inconsistency, averaging 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.