Rodney Rodgers dies at 54: NBA star remembered for ‘towering legacy’

former NBA star rodney rogers He died at the age of 54.

a news release Officials at Rogers’ alma mater, Wake Forest, confirmed that Rogers died Friday, Nov. 21, of natural causes related to a 2008 spinal cord injury. He leaves behind a wife; faye rogersand three children: daughters Rodreka and Lydia, and son Rodney Rogers II. (Rodrica is currently an assistant women’s basketball coach at Georgia State University, while Lydia played basketball at North Carolina State University from 2015 to 2019.)

Rogers was paralyzed from the shoulders down in November 2008 when his ATV crashed near Raleigh, North Carolina, when he accidentally drove into a ditch and flipped the handlebars.

“NBA legend Rodney Rodgers, who played 12 years in the league, passed away on November 21, 2025 of natural causes related to a spinal cord injury sustained on November 28, 2008,” his family said in a statement released by Wake Forest. “He made a peaceful transition surrounded by the boundless love of his devoted wife, Faye.”

Their obituary continued, “Rogers, a native of Durham, North Carolina, left a towering legacy as one of the most transformative players in program history and as an enduring example of courage, generosity, and pro-humanity.”

He joined Wake Forest University’s basketball team in 1990 and was eventually named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and named to the All-American First Team in his final season.

“Rodney Rogers transformed and accelerated the upward trajectory of Wake Forest University and Demon Deacons basketball from the moment he signed his letter of intent in the fall of 1989,” said the former Wake Forest University athletic director. john currysaid. “His generational combination of power and grace as an athlete was surpassed only by the size of his heart. His perseverance and spirit after the accident was an inspiration to thousands and exemplified the true meaning of pro-humanitarianism. Rodney showed us what strength looks like in every chapter of life. Our hearts go out to Faye, Rodrika, Rodney II, Lydia and the entire Rodgers family.”

He turned professional in 1993 and was drafted ninth overall by the Denver Nuggets, and went on to play for several NBA teams, including four years with the Los Angeles Clippers. Rodgers won the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000 while playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Rodney Rogers in January 2004. Albero/Getty Images

In later years, Rodgers played for the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and eventually the Philadelphia 76ers before leaving the league in 2005.

NBA issued a statement On Saturday, Nov. 22, Rodgers will be recognized for his unforgettable contributions to the sport of basketball.

“The NBA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rodney Rogers. Rodney won the Sixth Man of the Year Award while playing for the Phoenix Suns and was a beloved teammate throughout his 12-year NBA career,” the NBA statement said. “He will be remembered not only for his accomplishments on the court, but also for the extraordinary resilience, courage, and generosity he displayed throughout his life, qualities that were an inspiration to many. We send our deepest condolences to Rodney’s wife, Faye, and their family.”

Former Wake Forest coach dave odom He recalled Rodgers as an “extraordinary talent” who was “in every way as remarkable as a human being.”

“He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved Wake Forest and he loved the game of basketball,” Odom recalled. “Every time we visited him, I walked away telling myself never to complain, because he never complained.”

Odom continued, “He just faced life as it came and made the best of every moment. It was fun to watch him as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man. He shared his strength, his spirit, his life with everyone around him.”