“Rest in Peace”: Andrew Wiggins' family mourns his tragic loss, Warriors fans join him with heartfelt prayers

Remember Andrew Wiggins taking occasional time off last season and the season before? The issue was reported as a serious family matter and the Warriors fully supported their forward. The likely reason was the long-term illness of his father, Mitchell Wiggins. But on Friday, he breathed his last as Dubs nation poured in prayers for Andrew Wiggins and his family.

The topic was first brought up through Andrew Wiggins' sister Angelica's IG story. Fans noticed that Angey posted a picture of her father with the caption: “Rest in peace. We will always miss you. I love you forever, Dad.” Neither the player nor the franchise have made a statement on the matter, but the Dubs nation has been mourning the loss together with the family ever since.

Warriors fans pay tribute to Andrew Wiggins' father after heartbreaking loss

One fan wrote on social media: “I would like to express my condolences and prayers to Andrew Wiggins and his family today on the passing of his father, Mitchell Wiggins. It has been a difficult few years for the family and I cannot imagine the pain and grief they are going through right now. May God rest his soul in peace.” After it was confirmed that Angey did indeed deliver the news, Warriors fans gathered in large numbers to pay their respects to X. Wiggins was scheduled to visit China recently, but his trip was cancelled. Now we can assume that it was probably due to Mitchell's deteriorating condition.

Another Warriors fan posted: “This is so sad”followed by sad emojis. At the beginning of the year, the Warriors announced that Wiggins would be out of the game for an unspecified period of time. Shams Charania looked into the matter and revealed: “I was told that Andrew Wiggins is currently dealing with a serious family matter and that the Warriors are giving him his space and time,” Charania added: “Andrew Wiggins is expected to return at some point this season, as Steve Kerr said. They are optimistic about that. But they also understand that he is going through this process. We certainly wish him and his family the best in this.”

One of them expressed his condolences to the family and wrote: “My deepest condolences to @22wiggins and his family on the passing of his father. I am so sorry for your loss. May God's love comfort and console you.” Mitchell Wiggins was a household name in the 80s, playing for the Bulls and the Rockets. He also played for the Sixers in the early 90s before moving abroad. Wiggins Sr. played for the Greek team Sporting BC from 1994 to 1996 and was twice named the top scorer in the Greek League, in 1994 and 1996. AW made sure to stay by his father's side during his final moments, for which he was criticized.

One fan criticized the critics who lashed out at Wiggins without knowing his dilemma, writing: “Anyone who criticized him for not being on the team must apologize.” Wiggins missed a large number of games due to “Personal reasons” in the 2022-23 season. Although the reason was never disclosed, many criticized his absence during a crucial period of the season. Wiggins missed 22 games for the stated reason alone and only played 37 games in the regular season. Now that the dust has settled, hopefully many will treat Andrew Wiggins with the kindness he deserved back then.

The Warriors will soon begin training camp and there is now a strong possibility that Wiggins will not be available for the time being. Like the fans, we can only offer our condolences and prayers to the Wiggins family.