If the story of Andrew Wiggins' performance in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals was in the script of a movie, you might find it a bit too coincidental to be true.
Make no mistake, it's no accident that Wiggins was the best player on the floor in the Warriors' win over the Celtics, but it's the parallels you can draw to a performance put forth by his father 36 years prior that might boggle your mind just a bit.
MORE: How Andrew Wiggins' evolution has put the Warriors within striking distance of the title
With a chance to move within one win of the first NBA title of his career, Wiggins seized the opportunity, leading Golden State to a Game 5 win over Boston with 26 points and 13 rebounds, all while playing stellar defense on All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum.
Keeping Up With The Canadians 🇨🇦
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) June 14, 2022
Andrew Wiggins | vs. Boston
26 POINTS
13 REBOUNDS
2 ASSISTS
2 STEALS
1 BLOCK#DubNation | @warriors pic.twitter.com/oFefXHVT4C
36 years prior, Wiggins' father, Mitchell, helped the Rockets stave off elimination with a 16-point, seven-rebound performance in Game 5 of the 1986 NBA Finals against, you guessed it, the Celtics.
Mitchell Wiggins, father of Andrew Wiggins, came off the bench for the Rockets in Game 5 of the 1986 #NBAFinals against Boston and helped lead Houston to victory with 16 PTS and 7 REB! #NBAVault #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/2neSjzIKge
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) June 13, 2022
While both performances came in home wins in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the circumstances are admittedly a little different.
With their Game 5 win, Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors took command of the series with a 3-2 lead while Mitchell Wiggins and the Rockets used a Game 5 win to avoid elimination and force a Game 6, where they would ultimately be eliminated by the Celtics.
But that adds to the intrigue of it all, right?
36 years after his father was denied his best shot to win an NBA title in his career, Wiggins has an opportunity to win the first title of his career on the Celtics' home floor. In many ways, this is beginning to read like a superhero origin story.
MORE: Steve Kerr to Warriors after Game 5: "We're going to finish this in Boston"
As a former No. 1 overall pick and second-generation NBA player, Wiggins has been the subject of some unfair criticism throughout the first eight years of his NBA career. Thanks largely in part to the change of scenery, Wiggins' arrival to Golden State has resulted in him taking a somewhat alternative path toward becoming the player he was expected to be when his career began.
In the 2021-22 season alone, Wiggins has earned the distinction of an All-Star starter, has been the best player in an NBA Finals game and is one win away from being a key contributor to a championship team.
The best part about Wiggins' story? This season is only the beginning of what's to come.
