2 days ago
9
Former NBA player and college basketball legend Rodney Rogers has died at the age of 54.
Rogers, who enjoyed an iconic spell with Wake Forest before entering the NBA Draft in 1993 and played for seven teams throughout his 13-year spell in the big leagues, passed away on Friday, his alma mater announced.
He is survived by his wife, Faye, daughter Roddreka, who is currently an assistant coach with Georgia State women's basketball, son Rodney Rogers II and daughter Rydeiah.
After being selected with the No 9 pick by the Nuggets, the forward spent three seasons in Denver before enjoying brief stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.
He called time on his career with the Sixers in 2005, three years before he was involved in a tragic car accident that left him paralyzed.
While riding a quad bike through a trail in rural Vance County, north of Raleigh in North Carolina, Rogers drove into a ditch and flipped over his vehicle's handlebars, paralyzing him from the shoulders down.
Former NBA player and college basketball legend Rodney Rogers has died at the age of 54
Rogers enjoyed an iconic spell with Wake Forest before entering the NBA Draft in 1993 and spending 13 years in the big leagues
Over the past 17 years, the basketball star continued to inspire others through his Rodney Rogers Foundation, which helped individuals living with spinal injuries.
During his time at Wake Forest, Rogers - known as the 'Durham Bull' - cemented a legacy as 'one of the most transformative players in program history', the school said on Saturday.
They described him as 'the catalyst' for helping Wake Forest's men's team become one of the leading basketball programs in the country throughout the 1990s.
As a freshman Rogers led the Demon Deacons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1984, which earned him ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991. He later claimed a First Team All-ACC selection in 1992 and 1993 after guiding them to the NCAA Sweet 16, before being named ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American.
Rogers remains one of only seven players in ACC history to earn both ACC Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year honors.
Throughout his NBA career, he averaged 11 points per game and clinched the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000.
His No 54 jersey still hangs in the rafters at Wake Forest's Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The school also awarded him one of its highest honors with the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award.
'Wake Forest Athletics extends its deepest condolences to the Rogers family and all who were inspired by Rodney's extraordinary life, career and spirit,' its statement concluded.
