Rodney Hood graduates from Duke 12 years after Blue Devils career
May 15, 2026, 3:51 PM
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - APRIL 23: Rodney Hood #5 of the Utah Jazz brings the ball up court in the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Vivint Smart Home Arena on April 23, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images)
Former Utah Jazz wing Rodney Hood celebrated a full-circle moment this week.
Hood first stepped foot on the Duke University campus in the summer of 2012. After a 10-year NBA career, he returned to school and graduated from the department of sociology.
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A 2020 article from the Meridian Star, a local publication based in Hood’s hometown, wrote that he first started working on his degree during downtime from his Achilles rehab and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hood would play four more seasons in the NBA before retiring in November 2024.
He posted the news on Instagram on Tuesday.
What a special weekend! Mother’s Day and ya boy graduated! I really appreciate everyone that helped me along the way. All them long nights and hard work paid off! #Dukegrad
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Rodney Hood’s NBA Career
After three standout college seasons at Mississippi State and Duke University, Hood declared for the 2014 NBA Draft. The Utah Jazz selected the Mississippi native with the 23rd overall pick in the first round.
Hood spent the first three and a half seasons of his career in Salt Lake City. 227 of his 448 career games were played in a Jazz uniform.
After being traded from Utah to Cleveland midway through the 2017-2018 season, Hood didn’t have much career stability.
He scored over 10 points per game for two more seasons, but was traded by the trade deadline in three of four seasons to close his NBA career.
Hood played for Utah, Cleveland, Portland, Toronto, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles before retiring in 2024.
For the Utah Jazz’s 50th anniversary season, Hood cracked the KSL Sports list for the top 50 Utah Jazz players in franchise history.
