The Golden State Warriors paid tribute to Andrew Wiggins in his first game back at the Chase Center since getting traded to the Miami Heat last season. Wiggins received a warm welcome from Warriors fans who appreciated his contributions to the franchise.
In the pregame introduction, Wiggins and his infectious smile lit up the Chase Center. The Warriors then showed a nearly three-minute tribute video dedicated to the one-time All-Star’s career in Golden State.
The Warriors acquired Wiggins midway through the 2019-20 NBA season from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, Omari Spellman, a first-round pick and a second-round pick.
While he’s no longer the first or second option in Golden State, Wiggins had his most consistent seasons with the Warriors. His best came during the 2021-22 season, becoming an All-Star for the first time and helping the franchise win its fourth NBA championship in eight years.
Golden State parted ways with the former No. 1 pick at last season’s trade deadline. The Warriors sent him to Miami to acquire Jimmy Butler as part of a five-team trade.
Wiggins Shares Thoughts on His Bay Area Return
In his first game back at the Chase Center, Andrew Wiggins had 18 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes. The Miami Heat just couldn’t stop the Golden State Warriors’ offensive onslaught on Monday night, with a final score of 135-112.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Wiggins was asked about the warm reception from Warriors fans. He had nothing but love and appreciation for his time there, and he’ll cherish the moment he had for the rest of his career.
“It was a great tribute. Definitely meant a lot to see all the love in the building, all the excitement, all the old faces, and you know, everything that comes with it. But it was great. This is a game, a moment, I’ll cherish,” Wiggins said.
Wiggins’ best moments as a Warrior were during the 2022 NBA Finals. He was clearly the team’s second-best player behind Steph Curry, guarding Jayson Tatum on the other end of the floor. He was making the right plays and was one of the main reasons why they beat the favored Boston Celtics in six games.
Coach Steve Kerr Shows Love to Wiggins
In his postgame press conference, Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a lot of kind words for Andrew Wiggins. Kerr called it sad that Wiggins is no longer in Golden State, but that’s just how the nature of the NBA works most of the time.
“Wiggs is just such a great human being and beloved in our locker room. Had so much success here and helped us turn things around from that two-year stretch when we didn’t make the playoffs. He was just a joy to coach every single day,” Kerr said, via ESPN.
Due to their struggles last season, the Warriors had no other choice but to get a player like Jimmy Butler. It was a success in a way for Golden State, since they made it to the Western Conference semifinals as the No. 7 seed.
As for Wiggins in Miami, he’s averaging 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
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