Ex-NBA player, Wake Forest star Rodney Rogers dies at age 54

Ex-NBA player, Wake Forest star Rodney Rogers dies at age 54Story byEx-NBA player, Wake Forest star Rodney Rogers dies at age 54Scooby Axson, USA TODAYSat, November 22, 2025 at 8:54 PM UTC·2 min readMike Greenwell, baseball, 1963-2025Lawrence Moten, basketball, 1972-2025Bernie Parent, hockey, 1945-2025Eddie Giacomin, hockey, 1939-2025Ricky Hatton, boxing, 1978-2025

Bob Goodenow, hockey, 1952-2025

Davey Johnson, baseball, 1943-2025Ken Dryden, hockey 1947-2025Lee Roy Jordan, football, 1941-2025

Bill Collins, football, 1948-2025

Rahaman Ali, boxing, 1943-2025Laura Dahlmeier, Olympics, 1993-2025Ryne Sandberg, baseball, 1959-2025Dwight Muhammad Qawi, boxing, 1953-2025Rex White, auto racing, 1929-2025Wayne Thomas, hockey, 1947-2025Luis Sharpe, football, 1960-2025Lee Elia, baseball, 1937-2025Frank Layden, basketball, 1932-2025Bobby Jenks, baseball, 1981-2025

Lyndon Byers, hockey, 1964-2025

Diogo Jota, soccer, 1996-2025

Alex Delvecchio, hockey, 1931-2025

Dave Parker, baseball, 1951-2025Tom Rafferty, football, 1954-2025Jim Marshall (left), football, 1937-2025John Brenkus, broadcasting, 1971-2025Gadi Kinda, soccer, 1994-2025Chet Lemon, baseball, 1955-2025Jim Dent, golf, 1939-2025Dick Barnett, basketball, 1936-2025Walt Jocketty, baseball, 1951-2025Steve McMichael, football, 1957-2025Mike Patrick, sportscasting, 1944-2025Aaron Boupendza, soccer, 1996-2025

Ray Shero, hockey, 1962-2025

Octavio Dotel, baseball, 1973-2025Hank Steinbrecher, soccer, 1947-2025George Foreman, boxing, 1949-2025Kenneth Sims, NFL, 1959-2025Oliver Miller, basketball, 1970-2025Junior Bridgeman, basketball, 1953-2025Larry Dolan, baseball, 1931-2025

Al Trautwig, broadcasting, 1956-2025

Scott Sauerbeck, baseball, 1971-2025Howard Twilley, football, 1943-2025Dick Jauron, football, 1950-2025Virginia McCaskey, football, 1923-2025Fay Vincent, baseball, 1938-2025Dick Button, figure skating, 1929-2025Jeff Torborg, baseball, 1941-2025Bob Uecker, baseball, 1934-2025Bill McCartney, football, 1940-2025Felix Mantilla, baseball, 1934-2025Brian Matusz, baseball, 1987-2025Agnes Keleti, Olympics, 1921-2025Tiger Bech, football, 1997-20251 / 58

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Mike Greenwell, baseball, 1963-20251 / 58

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Lawrence Moten, basketball, 1972-20253 / 58

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Bernie Parent, hockey, 1945-20254 / 58

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Eddie Giacomin, hockey, 1939-20255 / 58

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Ricky Hatton, boxing, 1978-20256 / 58

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Bob Goodenow, hockey, 1952-2025

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Aaron Boupendza, soccer, 1996-202537 / 58

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George Foreman, boxing, 1949-202541 / 58

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Kenneth Sims, NFL, 1959-202542 / 58

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Virginia McCaskey, football, 1923-202550 / 58

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Dick Button, figure skating, 1929-202552 / 58

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Jeff Torborg, baseball, 1941-202553 / 58

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Bob Uecker, baseball, 1934-202554 / 58

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Bill McCartney, football, 1940-202555 / 58

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Felix Mantilla, baseball, 1934-202556 / 58

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Brian Matusz, baseball, 1987-202557 / 58

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Agnes Keleti, Olympics, 1921-202558 / 58

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Tiger Bech, football, 1997-2025

Former NBA player and Wake Forest standout Rodney Rogers has died at the age of 54, the university announced.

The National Basketball Players Association said that Rogers died of natural causes linked to a spinal cord injury.

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Rogers, who earned the nickname “Durham Bull,” spent 12 seasons in the NBA after his playing days with the Demon Deacons, and in 2008, he was paralyzed from the shoulders down after an accident on a dirt bike.

“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 University vice president and director of athletics John Currie said in a statement.

Rogers arrived in Winston-Salem and made an immediate impact, winning ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991. He was named ACC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American in 1993, and the next year was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the ninth overall selection.

During his rookie season, Rogers had one of the most incredible sequences in NBA history. In a February game against the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets trailed the Jazz by eight points with 37 seconds left. Rogers then scored nine points, on three 3-point shots in less than nine seconds to put Denver up by one, but Jazz guard Jeff Malone hit the game-winning jumper to give Utah the 96-95 victory.

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Rogers also played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.

Rogers had his best season in 1999-2000 with the Suns, averaging 13.8 points and winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

“The last 17 years have been both challenging and profoundly blessed,” the NBPA statement said. “Through every moment, Rodney remained a light — positive, motivated, and full of the quiet strength that inspired everyone around him.”

He is survived by his wife, Faye; his children, daughter Roddreka, son Rodney Rogers II, daughter Rydeiahm, his mother, Estelle Spencer; and Eric Hipilito, embraced as a son by Rogers.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rodney Rogers, ex-NBA player, Wake Forest star, dies at age 54

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