The Boston Celtics are reeling in the wake of their ugly 113-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night. On Saturday, the team was dealt some more bad news, as one of their former players, Rodney Rogers, died at the age of 54.
Rogers spent a brief 27-game stint with the C’s in 2002, averaging 10.7 points, four rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. After news of his passing surfaced, the team issued a statement on social media.
“The Celtics are saddened by the loss of Rodney Rogers and send our condolences to his family,” the team shared in a post on X.
Rogers was selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft, and he would go on to spend time with seven different teams during his career. The highlight of his career came in the 1999-00 season with the Phoenix Suns when he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
In 2008, Rogers was seriously injured in a dirt bike accident that left him paralyzed from the shoulders down. According to his family, Rogers died of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury.
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While his stint with Boston wasn’t very long, Rogers is remembered fondly by longtime fans of the team. As for the current Celtics squad, they will look to get back in the win column when they square off against the Orlando Magic on Sunday, with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.
