Rodney Rogers Dies at 54: NBA Star Remembered with ‘High Legacy’

NBA Star Rodney roger he died at the age of 54.

A news release from the College Alma Mater, Wake Forest, confirmed that Roger died on Friday, November 21, of natural causes linked to a spinal cord injury in 2008. He is survived by his wife, Faye rogerand three children: Daughters Roddreka and Rydedeka and Rydede and Son Rodney Roger II. (Roddreka is currently an assistant women’s basketball coach at Georgia State, while Rydeiya played basketball at North Carolina State from 2015 to 2019.)

Roger was paralyzed from the shoulders down after a November 2008 ATV accident near Raleigh, North Carolina, in which he accidentally drove into a ditch and became covered in potholes.

“Rodney Rogers, an NBA Legend who played 12 years in the league, passed away on November 21, 2025, from 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 his transition in peace, surrounded by the undying love of his devoted wife, Faye.”

Their tribute continued, “A native of Durham, NC, 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 Basketball team in 1990 and was eventually named The Atlantic Coast CORCOOR Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-American in his final season.

“Rodney Rogers has transformed and accelerated the upward trajectory of Wake Forest University and Demon Deacons Basketball since the time he made his letter of intent in the fall of 1989,” said former Forest, John Curriesaid. “His combination of strength and grace as a player is passed only by the size of his heart. His insistence and his purpose is to shake and put the faye, Roddreka, Rodney II.”

He was drafted 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 with the Los Angeles Clippers. Roger won the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000 while playing for the Phoenix Suns.

In the following years, Roger played for New Jersey, New Orleans and, finally, Philadelphia before leaving the organization in 2005.

The NBA released a statement on Saturday, November 22, to recognize Rogers’ unforgettable contributions to the game of basketball.

“The NBA family is deeply saddened by the passing of Rodney Roger. Rodney received this sixth man of the year when he played for the Phoenix Sun. “He will not be remembered for his success on the court but also for his tenacity, courage and determination throughout his life – qualities that inspired the shame of Rodney, Faye and their family.”

The former was a forest trainer Dave Odom He remembered Rogers as an “overwhelming talent” who was “every bit as amazing as a person.”

“He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved the woods and he loved the game of basketball,” Odom recalled. “Every time we visited him, I left reminding myself that I would never complain – because he didn’t.”

Odom continued, “he took life as it came and made the best of it every time. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was a much bigger person.”