Former NBA forward Rodney Rogers died on Friday at age 54, according to a Wake Forest press release written by Will Pantages.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Rogers had a highly decorated college career with the Demon Deacons, having been named the ACC’s Freshman of the Year in 1991, earning first-team All-ACC honors in 1992, and winning the conference’s Player of the Year award in 1993. He helped Wake Forest make three straight NCAA tournament appearances and held averages of 19.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals on .579/.349/.694 shooting in 89 games (31.6 minutes per contest).
According to the university, Rogers is one of only seven players in ACC history to win both the Freshman and Player of the Year awards, and the only Demon Deacon to hold that distinction.
Rogers turned pro after his junior season and was selected ninth overall in the 1993 draft. The 6’7″ combo forward played 12 seasons in the NBA for seven different teams (the Nuggets, Clippers, Suns, Celtics, Nets, the New Orleans Hornets, and the Sixers), holding career averages of 10.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.0 SPG in 866 regular season contests, including 347 starts (25.3 MPG).
Rogers’ most productive seasons came with Denver, Los Angeles and Phoenix. He was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year for the 1999/00 season while a member of the Suns, averaging 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.1 APG and 1.1 SPG on .486/.439/.639 shooting in 82 regular season appearances (27.9 MPG).
Unfortunately, Rogers was paralyzed from the shoulders down following a serious accident in 2008. His wife Faye said in a statement that Rodney passed away from natural causes related to the spinal cord injury he suffered 17 years ago.
The NBA put out a statement (via Twitter) saying it was “deeply saddened” by Rogers’ death.
“He will be remembered not only for his achievements on the court but also for the extraordinary resilience, courage and generosity that he demonstrated throughout his life — qualities that inspired so many,” the league said in part.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Rogers’ family and friends.