Rodney Rogers Had an Illustrious NBA Career Prior to His ATV Accident

Although Rodney Rogers played for six different teams in the NBA, he's probably best remembered for winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2000, along with an amazing 9-second sequence against the Utah Jazz in his Rookie Year with the Denver Nuggets, where he was able to sink three separate three-pointers in such a short amount of time. Not to mention his work in securing the New Jersey Nets a trip to the NBA Finals.

Not to mention "the greatest dunk in Easter history."

Fans of the player were concerned to see Rogers in a wheelchair years after he retired in 2005 and are wondering what happened to him.

On Dec. 4, 2008, ESPN reported that the 12-season retired NBA veteran was "paralyzed from the shoulders down."

The announcement was made by Rogers's college coach Dave Odom to the News & Observer of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

His condition was the result of an ATV accident that occurred while Rogers was riding one of the vehicles "in the woods [of] rural Vance County" in the Tar Heel State.

Rogers purportedly fell off the ATV he was riding as per the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

Following the accident, he was brought to Duke Hospital but then was later transferred out to undergo further treatment at the Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, Ga.

The latter healthcare facility "specializes in rehabilitation for people with catastrophic injuries."

Although Rogers earned a reported $26,721,600 throughout his NBA career, the athlete decided to keep busy following his tenure in the league.

ESPN writes that he returned to his hometown of Durham, N.C., and began working as a heavy machinery operator with the city's Public Works Department.

Additionally, he volunteered his talents as a basketball coach, giving guidance to the Durham Middle School's girls' team.

Rogers also engaged in other community efforts. He had a computer lab installed at a local community housing complex, giving residents an in-home destination to access technology.

The NBA talent was "financially set" following his time in the league, but it was his love of operating large vehicles and a desire to stay busy that fueled his desire to work for Durham.

According to Rogers's lawyer, James Williams, the forward was "an outdoorsman plain and simple."

Adding the player "hunts, motorycles, rides horses. He loves big trucks. Rodney isn't the type to sit around twiddling his thumbs. There aren't any jobs he considers too small for him. He started his own trucking company and was usually the lead driver. He'd be out there driving to the quarry at 3:30 in the morning."

In fact, Michael Balzarano of the Durham DPW who worked with Rogers said that he had no idea the NBA standout had a lot of money in the bank. Despite Rogers's hefty bank account, he didn't treat his job as something to do just to pass the time.

According to Balzarano, Rogers was hired because he presented himself as am extremely qualified candidate for the position. "I didn't even know he had lots of money. He is very friendly, very concerned, very conscientious. We chose him because of his ethics and his attitude. He was highly motivated. He was promoted to supervisor six months ago."

During his days as a pro baller, Rogers helped bring the New Jersey Nets to the NBA Finals in the 2002-2003 season. In the year prior, his trade to the Boston Celtic culminated in Playoffs success, where they ultimately fell to the Nets in the Eastern Conference finals.

Rogers was a first round draft pick and averaged 25.3 minutes and 10.9 points per game with a 34.7 hit percentage from behind the three-point arch. In 2013, he gave a message to NBA rookies, urging them to not take their careers or the fact that they getting paid a lot of money to play the game at the highest level for granted. "