When former Duke Blue Devils player Rodney Hood formally announced his NBA retirement on Thursday, the basketball community was caught off guard. Hood played in the NBA for eight years, most recently with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022. Hood played for Duke in the 2013–2014 season. Hood played for six different clubs during his career after being chosen by the Utah Jazz with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. He most famously spent a number of seasons playing with the Jazz, where he established himself. He also played for the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, and Clippers during his career.
Hood moved between teams over the final two to three seasons of his NBA career as he battled to find a steady role. He signed with the Memphis Hustle, the Memphis Grizzlies’ G-League franchise, in 2024 in an attempt to make a comeback. Hood, however, formally declared his retirement on Thursday after failing to secure a spot in the NBA again.
“I simply appreciate that basketball is a game. I’m incredibly thankful to have come from Meridian, Mississippi, attended Duke University, been selected in the first round of the NBA draft, and now been able to travel the world while playing the game I love. In addition to the travel itself, I will always be grateful for the people I encountered. And I still have a great deal of gratitude for my family, who have always been there for me.”
Hood went on, “Duke was fantastic for my growth. Coach K had a lot of faith in me. He trusted me so much that he named me captain before I had even played a game. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to play with Jabari Parker. The person who really recruited me there, Jeff Capel, was excellent. On and off the court, I simply gained a lot of knowledge. I had the opportunity to play collegiate basketball on the biggest stage and learn about many cultures. You really couldn’t ask for much more than that.
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