Golden State Warriors player Andrew Wiggins has returned to the team after a 22-game absence. The reason for his absence had been a mystery until The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that it was due to a “serious medical situation” involving his father, Mitchell Wiggins. However, neither Wiggins, Bob Myers, nor Steve Kerr confirmed this in pregame press conferences before the team’s game with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins Returns After Prioritizing Family Matters
Wiggins didn’t go into detail about his absence but emphasized the importance of being there for his family. He said that when his family needs him, it is his first priority. “In my career, everything, family is always first for me. It will always be that way. I felt like I was in a safe space to be able to come back. I feel like we got everything settled — not fully settled, but in a safe place where I could come back,” he said.
Andrew Wiggins opens up about making the decision to leave the team and why he felt comfortable to come back now pic.twitter.com/6p8fD8hgl6
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2023
Kerr said that Wiggins’ absence was not “mysterious” to the team, and they were informed by Wiggins from the beginning what he was dealing with. He reinforced a sentiment expressed by Myers that the Warriors felt it was important to leave Wiggins alone during that time. “We didn’t call him and text him all the time,” Kerr said. “We checked in occasionally, but we were just trying to give him space.”
Myers thanked Wiggins, his teammates, Warriors staff, and local media for declining to offer personal details on the situation. “That’s a pretty rare thing now in our business, to respect the personal life of someone that’s in a public job,” Myers said. He added that the Warriors will “always fully support” a member of the organization dealing with a family matter, calling it an “easy decision.”
Wiggins won’t return to the court on Tuesday, but he is now in a place where he will likely be available for the playoff and/or the play-in tournament. Kerr didn’t offer a concrete timeline for Wiggins but discussed his process to return to the court. “Once Andrew is able to play, it will feel like we’re complete,” Kerr said.
Overall, Wiggins’ return has been well received by the Warriors, who are now nearly at full strength with just three games left to go. Wiggins’ situation highlights the importance of family and the Warriors’ commitment to respecting the personal lives of their players.
Curry and Poole shine as Warriors clinch fifth spot in Western Conference in win over Thunder
Stephen Curry and Jordan Poole combined for 64 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 136-125 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in their final regular-season home game. Curry finished with 34 points, while Poole scored 30, including a crucial three-pointer to put the Warriors up by 11 with just over three minutes remaining.
Draymond Green added 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Moses Moody contributed 13 points and five rebounds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 32 points for the Thunder, who have now lost three straight and four of their last five.
The Warriors were boosted by the return of Andrew Wiggins, who received a warm reception from the home crowd but didn’t play due to conditioning issues after being away from the team since mid-February to attend to a family matter. With the win, Golden State moved into fifth place in the Western Conference standings, but could drop to sixth depending on the result of Wednesday’s game between the Clippers and Lakers.
