Andrew Wiggins, a former NBA champion and All-Star, has returned to the Golden State Warriors after missing more than 20 games while attending to a private, personal family matter.
The former No. 1 pick addressed the media before the game on Tuesday and said that he was “hopeful” he would return before the end of the regular season. He added that he rejoined his teammates because he felt he was finally in a “safe place” to do as much.
Although he didn’t play in Golden State’s game against Oklahoma City on Tuesday, it was his first public appearance in nearly two months. When the fans saw him on the Warriors’ bench, he was greeted with a standing ovation and an incredibly warm welcome:
Wiggs' smile while Dub Nation gave him an ovation 😁💙 pic.twitter.com/IcuLevlv7A
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2023
Just from the video above, you can see how grateful the Golden State fans are to have Wiggins back with the team.
From his smile, it’s evident how much he appreciates their support.
His teammates seemed encouraged about the reunion as well. Golden State’s Jordan Poole described Wiggins’ return as “awesome” because he is a “bright light” and an “amazing spirit” in the locker room.
Bob Myers open up with Andrew Wiggins pic.twitter.com/kOsQnU12RV
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) April 5, 2023
Warriors executive Bob Myers also spoke about Wiggins:
“Thank you for respecting Andrew’s life and privacy over the last six weeks … That’s a pretty rare thing now in our business, to respect the personal life of someone who is in a public job … Basketball is a really important thing in the world and certainly here, but it’s never more important than family, and that’s never going to change … We will always fully support that … I know you have to ask him questions … I hope you can respect the answers he gives and he’ll be as open as he chooses to be.”
Wiggins is expected to return to the court either Friday in Sacramento or Sunday in Portland.
Golden State is in a three-way tie in the loss column with the Lakers and Clippers. The Timberwolves and Pelicans are only narrowly trailing the trio of Pacific division rivals.
Only two of the aforementioned organizations will be able to avoid the play-in tournament to earn an official spot in the postseason. Wiggins’ return will help Golden State in that pursuit.
