One of the top Polish basketball players in the 1960s, Janusz Wichowski played for the Polish Olympic team in both Rome and Tokyo. The forward had made his début for the national team in 1956, playing 224 A internationals over the following decade. His greatest national team success came in 1963, when he played the final of the European Championships held in Poland, losing the final against the USSR after leading at half-time. Two years later, the Polish squad medalled again, coming in third. In addition to these competitions, Wichowski was also called up for the 1967 World Championships, and the Europeans of 1957, 1959 and 1961. In domestic competition, he won the Polish crown four times, the first with Polonia Warszawa (1959), followed by three titles with Legia Warszawa (1961, 1963 and 1965). He led the league in scoring four times, and also claimed the Polish Cup with Legia in 1968. After playing with the second division team Skra Warszawa in 1970 and 1971, Wichowski retired and moved to Marly, a small town in the north of France. He played for the local team there, and later became its coach, while also working as a physical education teacher.
Poland