Andrew Wiggins, the teenage son of a Barbadian mother, was last night selected as the number one pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
Wiggins, who was born and raised in Canada, was chosen by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and is expected to be a starter for the team in the 2014-15 season.
His mother, Marita Payne, was born in Barbados but emigrated to Canada more than 40 years ago in search of more opportunities.
His father, Mitchell Wiggins, grew up in North Carolina and was a first round draft pick by the Indiana Pacer in 1983. Three years later, his father was on the Houston Rockets team that lost that season’s NBA finals.
Last year, Anthony Bennett, the son of a Jamaican mother, was the top pick in the NBA draft and like his fellow countryman Wiggins, is a Cleveland Cavalier.
Wiggins played for Kansas University in the 2013-2014 NCAA Division I basketball season and caught the eye of scouts, commentators and other experts, all of whom described the Bajan-Canadian as the best all-round player coming out of college.
His mother represented Canada in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and won two silver medals as a sprinter in the 4×100 metres and the 4×400 relay.
Marita and Mitchell Wiggins, who met at Florida State University, have five children. (TB)
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