Wake Forest legend and former NBA player Rodney Rogers has died at the age of 54.
A statement from the university said Rogers died on Friday. No official cause of death was provided.
Former Wake Forest head basketball coach Dave Odom, who coached Rogers from 1990 to 1993, issued a statement as part of the school’s announcement:
“Rodney is truly one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the Atlantic Coast Conference—without reservation. You can place him alongside the very best our league has ever seen. It’s easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out to everyone who knew him was that he 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. He loved playing for Wake Forest. Every time we visited him, I walked away reminding myself never to complain—because he never did. 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.”
Rogers appeared in 89 games for Wake Forest over three seasons. He was named to the All-ACC team in each of his three years, including first-team selections in his final two seasons, and won ACC Player of the Year during the 1992-93 season.
His career average of 19.3 points per game is the seventh-best mark in program history.
Wake Forest retired Rogers’ No. 54 jersey in 1996. He also received an honorary degree from the university in 2022.
After leaving college following his junior year, Rogers was selected with the No. 9 overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1993 NBA draft. He had a 12-year NBA career with seven different teams from 1993 to 2005.
Rogers’ best season was in 1999-2000 with the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 82 appearances to win Sixth Man of the Year.
He was also on the 1992 Team USA select team that beat the Dream Team in a scrimmage leading up to the Summer Olympics.
