Former NBA star Rodney Rogers has died at age 54.
A news release from his college alma mater, Wake Forest, confirmed that Rogers died on Friday, November 21, of natural causes linked to a 2008 spinal injury. He is survived by his wife, Faye Rogers, and three children: daughters Roddreka and Rydeiah as well as son Rodney Rogers II. (Roddreka is currently an assistant coach for Georgia State women’s basketball, while Rydeiah played basketball at North Carolina State from 2015 to 2019.)
Rogers became paralyzed from the shoulders down following a November 2008 ATV crash near Raleigh, North Carolina, when he accidentally drove into a ditch and flipped over the handlebars.
“Rodney Rogers, an NBA legend who played 12 years in the league, passed away on November 21, 2025, from natural causes related to the spinal cord injury he sustained on November 28, 2008,” his family said in a statement released by Wake Forest. “He made his transition peacefully, surrounded by the endless love of his devoted wife, Faye.”
Their tribute continued, “A native of Durham, N.C., Rogers leaves behind a towering legacy as one of the most transformative players in program history and an enduring example of courage, generosity, and Pro Humanitate spirit.”
He joined the Wake Forest University basketball team in 1990 and eventually was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American in his final season.
“Rodney Rogers transformed and accelerated the upward trajectory of Wake Forest University as well as Demon Deacons basketball from the moment he signed his letter of intent in the fall of 1989,” Wake Forest’s former athletic director, John Currie, said. “His generational combination of power and grace as a player was exceeded only by the size of his heart. His perseverance and spirit following his accident inspired thousands and embodied the true meaning of Pro Humanitate. Rodney showed us what strength looks like in every chapter of life. Our hearts are with Faye, Roddreka, Rodney II, Rydiah and the entire Rogers family.”
He was drafted as the ninth overall pick by the Denver Nuggets when he turned pro in 1993 and would go on to play for several NBA teams, including a four-year stint for the Los Angeles Clippers. Rogers won the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2000 while he was playing for the Phoenix Suns.
Rodney Rogers in January 2004. Al Bello/Getty Images
In later years, Rogers played for the New Jersey Nets, the New Orleans Hornets and, finally, for the Philadelphia 76ers before leaving the league in 2005.
The NBA released a statement on Saturday, November 22, to recognize Rogers’s unforgettable contributions to the sport of basketball.
“The NBA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rodney Rogers. Rodney earned the Sixth Man of the Year Award while playing for the Phoenix Suns and was a beloved teammate during his 12-year NBA career,” an NBA statement read. “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. We send our heartfelt condolences to Rodney’s wife, Faye, and their family.”
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Former Wake Forest coach Dave Odom remembered Rogers as an “extraordinary talent” who was “every bit 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 reminding myself never to complain — because he never did,.”
Odom went on, “He faced life exactly as it came and made the very best of every moment. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man. He shared his strength, his spirit and his life with everyone around him.”
