Rodney Rogers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rodney Rogers

Personal information
Born	(1971-06-20)June 20, 1971 Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	November 21, 2025(2025-11-21) (aged 54)
High school	Hillside (Durham, North Carolina)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Wake Forest (1990–1993)
NBA Draft	1993 / Round: 1 / Pick: 9th overall
Selected by the Denver Nuggets
Pro career	1993–2005
Career history
1993–1995	Denver Nuggets
1995–1999	Los Angeles Clippers
1999–2002	Phoenix Suns
2002	Boston Celtics
2002–2004	New Jersey Nets
2004–2005	New Orleans Hornets
2005	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
Sixth Man of the Year (2000) Consensus second-team All-American (1993) ACC Player of the Year (1993) 2× First-team All-ACC (1992, 1993) Second-team All-ACC (1991) ACC Rookie of the Year (1991) No. 54 retired by Wake Forest Demon Deacons Third-team Parade All-American (1990) North Carolina Mr. Basketball (1990) McDonald's All-American (1990)
Career NBA statistics
Points	9,468 (10.9 ppg)
Rebounds	3,881 (4.5 rpg)
Assists	1,722 (2.0 apg)
Medals Men's Basketball Representing  United States Summer Universiade Gold 1991 Sheffield National team

Rodney Ray Rogers Jr. (June 20, 1971 – November 21, 2025) was a talented American professional basketball player. He played for many teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was recognized as an All-American in 1993. The Denver Nuggets chose him as the ninth pick in the 1993 NBA draft. In 2000, he won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award while playing for the Phoenix Suns.

Growing Up: Rodney Rogers' Childhood

Rodney Rogers was the youngest of four children. He grew up in Durham, North Carolina. His childhood was spent in the McDougald Terrace neighborhood. When Rodney was young, his father passed away.

Later, his mother faced a serious car accident. She needed a lot of care to recover. During this time, Rodney lived with his former youth league coach, Nathaniel Brooks, and his family. He stayed with them for his last two years of high school. His stepfather, James Spencer, also passed away when Rodney was a teenager.

Rodney's older brother, Stacy, was a talented athlete. Stacy won a gold medal in basketball at the 1981 Deaflympics. This was a special event for deaf athletes.

High School Basketball Star

Rodney attended Hillside High School in Durham. People called him "the Durham Bull" because of his strong playing style. He was a top player in North Carolina. In 1990, he was named the state's Player of the Year.

During his junior year, he scored about 22.5 points and grabbed 9.7 rebounds per game. In his senior year, he improved even more. He averaged 28.3 points and 12.3 rebounds. His team had a great record of 27 wins and only 2 losses. They made it far in the state playoffs. Rodney was also chosen as a McDonald's All-American. He scored 17 points in that special game.

College Days at Wake Forest

From 1990 to 1993, Rodney played college basketball for Wake Forest University. He quickly showed his talent. In his first year, he was named Rookie of the Year. In 1993, he became the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. That year, he averaged 21.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Overall, in college, he averaged 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds. His amazing performance led to him being picked ninth in the 1993 NBA draft. The Denver Nuggets chose him to join their team. To honor his contributions, Wake Forest University retired his jersey number 54 in 1996.

NBA Journey: A Pro Basketball Career

Rodney Rogers began his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets in 1993. He was the ninth player chosen in the draft. In his first year, he often came off the bench. His team made history by being the first 8th-seeded team to beat a 1st-seeded team in the playoffs. This was against the Seattle SuperSonics. He once scored three 3-pointers in just nine seconds against the Utah Jazz.

In his second season, Rodney became a starter. He had a fantastic game on March 10, 1995. He grabbed 21 rebounds, scored 19 points, and made 8 assists. Later, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He played with the Clippers for four years.

Sixth Man of the Year Award

In 1999, Rodney joined the Phoenix Suns. He was a key player coming off the bench. He averaged 13.8 points per game. In 2000, he won the prestigious NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. This award goes to the best player who regularly comes into the game as a substitute. The Suns reached the playoffs that year.

Rodney later played for the Boston Celtics in 2002. He then signed with the New Jersey Nets in 2002. A memorable moment with the Nets was in a 2003 playoff game. He hit a game-winning shot against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nets made it to the NBA Finals that season.

He also played for the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. His final team was the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005. He finished his career as a valuable backup forward.

Life After Basketball

Rodney Rogers had a family with three children: Roddreka, Rydeiah, and Rodney II. He later married Faye in 2010. After his NBA career, Rodney returned to Durham, North Carolina. He worked for the City of Durham, operating heavy equipment. He was even promoted to a supervisor role. Many of his co-workers didn't know about his famous basketball past!

Rodney was also a cousin to Tully Banta-Cain, a former New England Patriots football player.

He loved giving back to his community. He volunteered as a girls' basketball coach at a middle school. He also helped start a youth football team called the Durham Eagles. In his free time, Rodney enjoyed many outdoor activities. These included hunting, riding motorcycles and ATVs, horseback riding, and fishing. He was also a big fan of NASCAR racing.

Rodney was featured in the 2025 HBO MAX documentary We Beat the Dream Team.

A Life-Changing Accident

On November 28, 2008, Rodney Rogers was in a serious accident. He was riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) in North Carolina. While on a trail, his ATV went into a ditch and he was thrown off. This accident caused a severe injury to his spinal cord. He was taken to a special medical center in Atlanta, Georgia. Sadly, the accident left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. This meant he could not move his body below his shoulders.

Remembering Rodney Rogers

Rodney Rogers passed away on November 21, 2025. He was 54 years old. His death was due to health problems that came from his spinal cord injury in 2008. He is remembered as a great basketball player and a kind person who loved his community.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season Performance

Playoffs Performance

See also

In Spanish: Rodney Rogers para niños