Former NBA player and Wake Forest star Rodney Rogers has died at age 54 from natural causes related to a spinal cord injury sustained in a 2008 ATV accident. Rogers, who won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000 with the Phoenix Suns, played 12 seasons in the league after a standout college career. He is remembered for his on-court achievements and remarkable resilience off the court.
Rodney Rogers, a Durham, North Carolina native known as the 'Durham Bull,' passed away on November 21, 2025, his family announced. The 54-year-old died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, due to complications from the spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down following an ATV accident on November 28, 2008, in his home state.
Rogers starred at Wake Forest University from 1990 to 1993, where he earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors in 1991, first-team All-ACC selections, and the ACC Player of the Year award in 1993—the only Demon Deacon to win both freshman and player of the year accolades. He averaged 19.3 points and 7.9 rebounds over three seasons, leading Wake Forest to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 1993. His No. 54 jersey was retired by the school in 1996, and he received the Distinguished Alumni Award and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2022.
Selected ninth overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA Draft, Rogers enjoyed a 12-year professional career across seven teams: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 10.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 866 regular-season games, with his peak performance coming in 1999-2000, when he won Sixth Man of the Year with the Suns, posting 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 43 percent from three-point range.
After his accident, Rogers founded the Rodney Rogers Foundation to support those with spinal cord injuries. His wife, Faye Rogers, reflected on his strength: "The last 18 years have been both challenging and profoundly blessed. Through every moment, Rodney remained a light—positive, motivated and full of the quiet strength that inspired everyone around him."
The NBA expressed condolences, noting his "extraordinary resilience, courage and generosity." Wake Forest athletic director John Currie said, "His generational combination of power and grace as a player was exceeded only by the size of his heart." Former coach Dave Odom added, "He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man."
Rogers is survived by Faye; daughters Roddreka and Rydiah, both college basketball players; sons Rodney II, Devonte Rogers, and Eric Hipilito; and mother Estelle Spencer.
