What is Andrew Wiggins' Ethnicity? Nationality and Other Details About Warriors All-Star (2024)

Do you remember Andrew Wiggins during his championship game with the Vaughan Voyageurs? Just 16 and crowned as the ‘Canadia Jordan,’ gyms were always packed. But this time, a disappointed crowd started chants of “over-rated,”as the Voyageurs were barely holding on to their lead in the second half. And without warning (well, those chants should have been warning enough for the opponents), Wiggs went off, scoring 12 points in the third quarter alone, as he finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds!

And do you remember when he annihilated Marietta College, dropping 57 points in Huntington Prep’s 111-59 win, after Sports Illustrated‘s Pete Thamel pushed every possible button in a semi-scathing 2013 article? All this to say that his quiet nature is not to be mistaken for being soft. He is, after all, from a winning, competitive pedigree as the middle child of ex-NBA player, Mitchell Wiggins and superstar track athlete, Marita Payne-Wiggins.

Andrew Wiggins’ ethnicity and nationality

Raised in a family with a rich athletic legacy, the NBA champ is of Afro-Caribbean and African-American descent. His father, Mitchell Wiggins, is African-American, while his mother, Marita Payne-Wiggins, is of Barbadian heritage. Hence, Wiggs is of mixed ethnicity.

Furthermore, as a Canadian national, the 2015 ROTY grew up playing basketball in a country where hockey traditionally dominated the sports scene. However, the rise of basketball happened to coincide with the rise of “Michael Jordan of Canada”. And since then, there has been a steady influx of Canadian talent to the NBA.

But none of this would have happened if not for the support of his family and close friends. In fact, his former coach at Vaughan, Gus Gymnopoulus, pointed out that “He was quiet and humble and seemed to thrive off having family and friends close enough to come to his games.”

The influence of Mitchell and Marita: A legacy of athletic excellence

You would think that having a 6’4 former NBA guard for a father and a 5’8 sprinter for a mother would get Wiggs that gene advantage. The reality, though, was not too kind. At 11 years old, Andrew Wiggins was short, scrawny, and uncoordinated – traits that don’t really help you land an NBA gig and, according to his father, coaches sat him at the end of the bench!

In fact, Mitchell joked that “he might have retired at 18.”But he was determined to not let these obstacles come in the way of his dreams. Wiggins was born to a family of exceptional athletes and he wanted to take complete advantage of that.

“You always want your kid to be much better than you ever were. That’s what we dreamt for all of our kids, for them to experience what we experienced, but at a much higher level. He’s [Wiggins] doing what we dreamed that he would be able to do and all of them would be able to do,”his mother and 2x Olympic silver medalist said.

That did not mean that Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins ever forced him or any of their children to follow their path. Andrew Wiggins has been around basketball since he was 2. His father ran camps for area youth basketball players and a young Andrew fell in love with the sport. While he might not have had any pressure from family, there was plenty of it from outside.

Wiggs carried the weight of external expectations, shaped by comparisons to LeBron James from his high school days, his status as a first-overall draft pick, and the legacy of having a father who played at the NBA’s highest level. But his parents never failed to catch him were he ever to fall.

“We’re just there to support and there to say, ‘You know what, I know you might’ve had a bad game, but guess what? Tomorrow’s another day. You better pick up and let’s go,'” Marita revealed.

All the lessons that he learned from his parents, one of whom is no longer with the family, continue to push him to be the best player he can be, even if it has been a long year of criticism and on-court struggles. Because as you read above and are someone who has followed the Canadian religiously, you would know that once he locks in, there is no stopping the 29-year-old All-Star!

As Andrew Wiggins continues to excel with the Golden State Warriors, his multicultural background and Canadian roots remain an integral part of his identity, representing his journey from Canada to the pinnacle of the NBA.