Rodney Hood facts for kids

For the American federal official similarly named see Rodney E. Hood.

Quick facts for kids
Rodney Hood
Personal information
Hood with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
Born	(1992-10-20) October 20, 1992 (age 32) Meridian, Mississippi, U.S.
High school	Meridian (Meridian, Mississippi)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
College	Mississippi State (2011–2012) Duke (2013–2014)
NBA Draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	2014–2024
Career history
2014–2018	Utah Jazz
2018–2019	Cleveland Cavaliers
2019–2021	Portland Trail Blazers
2021	Toronto Raptors
2021–2022	Milwaukee Bucks
2022	Los Angeles Clippers
2024	Memphis Hustle

Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-ACC (2014) SEC All-Freshman Team (2012) Mississippi Mr. Basketball (2011)

Rodney Michael Hood was born on October 20, 1992. He is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for Mississippi State and Duke. Rodney was chosen in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He later played for several other teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers. He retired from playing basketball on November 21, 2024.

High School Basketball Journey

Rodney Hood went to Meridian High School in Meridian, Mississippi.

Junior Year Success

During his junior year in 2009–10, Rodney was a star player. He scored about 22 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and made 4 assists per game. He led his team, the Wildcats, all the way to the Class 6A finals. They played well throughout the tournament but lost in the championship game.

Senior Year Championship

In his senior year (2010–11), Rodney played even better. He averaged nearly 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. He also had 3 steals and 2 blocks. Rodney helped Meridian High School achieve an amazing 29–2 record and win the Class 6A championship! In the semifinals, he scored 27 points against Starkville. In the final game against Vicksburg, he scored 24 points to secure the 62–47 victory.

Top Recruit Status

Experts at Rivals.com thought Rodney was a top player, giving him a five-star rating. He was ranked as the 5th best small forward and the 16th best player in the nation for 2011. In October 2010, he decided to play college basketball for Mississippi State University.

Rodney also found out in March 2021 that his childhood neighbor was Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams.

College Basketball Career

Rodney Hood played college basketball for two different universities: Mississippi State and Duke.

Time at Mississippi State

As a freshman at Mississippi State in 2011–12, Rodney started in 29 of the 32 games he played. He was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He shot well, making 44.3% of his shots overall and 36.4% from three-point range.

Transfer to Duke University

In July 2012, Rodney decided to transfer to Duke University. Because of NCAA rules, he had to sit out the 2012–13 season. Even though he couldn't play in games, he helped the team a lot in practice. He quickly became known as one of the best players on the team.

Leading the Duke Blue Devils

In his second year at Duke (2013–14), Rodney was chosen as a team captain. He played in 35 games, starting in 33 of them. He averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in about 33 minutes per game. He shot 46.4% from the field and an impressive 42% from beyond the three-point line. For his great performance, he earned second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors.

In April 2014, Rodney decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he would skip his last two years of college basketball.

Professional Basketball Journey

Rodney Hood had a professional basketball career that spanned several teams in the NBA.

Utah Jazz (2014–2018)

The Utah Jazz picked Rodney Hood as the 23rd player in the 2014 NBA draft on June 26, 2014. He signed his first contract with the team on July 11. On March 16, 2015, he had his best game of the season, scoring 24 points. He helped the Jazz beat the Charlotte Hornets 94–66, which was their sixth win in a row.

In the 2015–16 season, Rodney became a regular starter, playing in all 79 games. He was a key player for the team's offense. He scored double digits in 61 games and 20 or more points in 15 games. On January 2, 2016, he scored a career-high 32 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, helping the Jazz win 92–87 in overtime.

During the 2016–17 season, Rodney continued to play well. In the first game on October 25, he scored 26 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. On December 16, 2016, he made his first game-winning shot in the NBA. He hit a three-pointer with less than a second left to beat the Dallas Mavericks 103–100. He scored a season-high 27 points on January 13, 2017, in a big win over the Detroit Pistons.

In the 2017–18 season, Rodney scored a season-high 25 points on October 30, 2017, helping the Jazz beat the Dallas Mavericks. On November 18, he scored a new season high of 31 points while coming off the bench in a win against the Orlando Magic. Rodney was traded before finishing the season with the Jazz.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2018–2019)

On February 8, 2018, Rodney was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team deal. In his first game for the Cavaliers on February 11, he scored 15 points in a win against the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers made it to the 2018 NBA Finals that year, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Rodney re-signed with the Cavaliers on September 10, 2018. On October 30, he scored a season-high 26 points in a win over the Atlanta Hawks. This helped the Cavaliers end a six-game losing streak.

Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2021)

On February 4, 2019, Rodney was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. On March 3, 2019, he scored a season-high 27 points in a win against the Charlotte Hornets. In the playoffs, during Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, Rodney scored a playoff career-high 25 points. However, the Trail Blazers were later eliminated from the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors.

On December 6, 2019, the Trail Blazers announced that Rodney would miss the rest of the 2019–2020 season. He had torn his left Achilles tendon during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. This type of injury can take a long time to heal.

Toronto Raptors (2021)

On March 25, 2021, Rodney Hood was traded to the Toronto Raptors. He was later waived by the Raptors on August 3, 2021.

Milwaukee Bucks (2021–2022)

Rodney signed with the Milwaukee Bucks on August 6, 2021. On December 12, he scored a season-high 14 points in a win against the New York Knicks.

Los Angeles Clippers (2022)

On February 10, 2022, Rodney was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a four-team trade.

Memphis Hustle (2024)

On February 11, 2024, Rodney joined the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League. He announced his retirement from basketball on November 21, 2024.

Playing for Team USA

Rodney Hood also had the chance to represent his country in basketball.

Training with the Olympic Team

In July 2016, Rodney joined the United States men's select team. This team trained with the 2016 Olympic team, helping them prepare for the games.

FIBA World Cup Qualification

In November 2022, Rodney was chosen to play for Team USA in the second round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualification. This was a step towards qualifying for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Personal Life

Rodney Hood is married to Richa Jackson.

Family Life

On January 3, 2016, Rodney and Richa welcomed their first child, a son. They got married on July 29, 2016, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On April 18, 2018, Rodney's wife, Richa, gave birth to twins, a son named Rich and a daughter named Riley.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Rodney Hood's basketball statistics from his time in the NBA and college.

NBA Regular Season Stats

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2014–15	Utah	50	21	21.3	.414	.365	.763	2.3	1.7	.6	.2	8.7
2015–16	Utah	79	79	32.2	.420	.359	.860	3.4	2.7	.9	.2	14.5
2016–17	Utah	59	55	27.0	.408	.371	.783	3.4	1.6	.6	.2	12.7
2017–18	Utah	39	12	27.8	.424	.389	.876	2.8	1.7	.8	.2	16.8
2017–18	Cleveland	21	11	25.3	.442	.352	.813	2.6	1.4	.7	.2	10.8
2018–19	Cleveland	45	45	27.4	.427	.362	.912	2.5	2.0	.8	.1	12.2
2018–19	Portland	27	4	24.4	.452	.345	.805	1.7	1.3	.8	.3	9.6
2019–20	Portland	21	21	29.5	.506	.493	.778	3.4	1.5	.8	.2	11.0
2020–21	Portland	38	5	19.1	.363	.298	.750	1.9	1.2	.5	.1	4.7
2020–21	Toronto	17	0	12.7	.356	.310	.938	1.8	.4	.2	.2	3.9
2021–22	Milwaukee	39	0	14.9	.351	.300	.929	1.7	.8	.3	.1	3.3
2021–22	L.A. Clippers	13	0	9.8	.462	.545	.800	.8	.6	.2	.2	2.6
Career		448	253	24.5	.420	.366	.841	2.6	1.6	.7	.2	10.4

NBA Playoff Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2017	Utah	11	0	25.2	.352	.260	.611	2.7	1.1	.5	.0	8.9
2018	Cleveland	17	1	15.3	.424	.167	.750	1.8	1.1	.3	.2	5.4
2019	Portland	16	0	23.3	.468	.353	.818	2.3	.9	.4	.2	9.9
Career		44	1	20.7	.416	.280	.757	2.2	1.0	.4	.2	7.9

College Stats

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2011–12	Mississippi State	32	29	32.8	.443	.364	.659	4.8	2.0	.4	.4	10.3
2013–14	Duke	35	33	32.9	.464	.420	.807	3.9	2.1	.7	.3	16.1
Career		67	62	32.8	.455	.396	.773	4.3	2.1	.6	.3	13.3