Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For twelve seasons (1958 to 1970), he played the guard position in the National Basketball Association with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. Born Guy William Rodgers, Jr., he demonstrated a love for the game as a child at the neighborhood playgrounds with his friends, who included Bill Cosby. While attending Northeast High School in Philadelphia, he established himself as a skilled player. He enrolled at Temple University, where he continued his athletics at the college level. While playing for the Owls under Hall of Fame coach Harry Litwack, Rodgers distinguished himself as he set a team record of 15 assists for one game, earned team MVP honors in 1957, was a key contributor to two Temple squads that reached the Final Four in 1956 and 1958. He achieved First Team All-American status in 1958. At the conclusion of his college career, he was the school's leader with 1,767 points, a total that remains unsurpassed to this day. Rodgers was selected by the Warriors as a territorial pick during the 1958 NBA Draft and joined fellow Philadelphia natives Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Arizin and Tom Gola. He became one of the greatest guards during his era, as he led the league twice in assists (825 in 1962-1963 and 908 in 1966-1967). In 1963, he tied Bob Cousy's record of 28 assists in one game. He was claimed by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1968 NBA expansion and concluded his career there in 1970. In 892 regular season games, he amassed 10,415 points with 6,917 assists and earned All-Star status four times (1963, 1964, 1966, and 1967). Following his basketball career, he worked as a personnel executive with the Xerox Corporation. He had the distinction of playing guard with three Hall of Fame centers (Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar). Rodgers was regarded by many basketball greats, including Bob Cousy, as being worthy of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971, and enshrined posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. He died from a heart attack.
Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Player. For twelve seasons (1958 to 1970), he played the guard position in the National Basketball Association with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. Born Guy William Rodgers, Jr., he demonstrated a love for the game as a child at the neighborhood playgrounds with his friends, who included Bill Cosby. While attending Northeast High School in Philadelphia, he established himself as a skilled player. He enrolled at Temple University, where he continued his athletics at the college level. While playing for the Owls under Hall of Fame coach Harry Litwack, Rodgers distinguished himself as he set a team record of 15 assists for one game, earned team MVP honors in 1957, was a key contributor to two Temple squads that reached the Final Four in 1956 and 1958. He achieved First Team All-American status in 1958. At the conclusion of his college career, he was the school's leader with 1,767 points, a total that remains unsurpassed to this day. Rodgers was selected by the Warriors as a territorial pick during the 1958 NBA Draft and joined fellow Philadelphia natives Wilt Chamberlain, Paul Arizin and Tom Gola. He became one of the greatest guards during his era, as he led the league twice in assists (825 in 1962-1963 and 908 in 1966-1967). In 1963, he tied Bob Cousy's record of 28 assists in one game. He was claimed by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1968 NBA expansion and concluded his career there in 1970. In 892 regular season games, he amassed 10,415 points with 6,917 assists and earned All-Star status four times (1963, 1964, 1966, and 1967). Following his basketball career, he worked as a personnel executive with the Xerox Corporation. He had the distinction of playing guard with three Hall of Fame centers (Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar). Rodgers was regarded by many basketball greats, including Bob Cousy, as being worthy of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971, and enshrined posthumously into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014. He died from a heart attack.
Bio by: C.S.
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