Rod Higgins

{{short description|American basketball player}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Rod Higgins

| image =

| width =

| caption =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 7

| weight_lb = 200

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|01|31}}

| birth_place = Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.

| high_school = Thornton Township
(Harvey, Illinois)

| college = Fresno State (1978–1982)

| draft_year = 1982

| draft_round = 2

| draft_pick = 31

| draft_team = Chicago Bulls

| career_start = 1982

| career_end = 1994

| career_number = 22, 55, 21, 23, 32

| career_position = Small forward / power forward

| years1 = {{nbay|1982|start}}–{{nbay|1984|end}}

| team1 = Chicago Bulls

| years2 = {{nbay|1985|start}}

| team2 = Seattle SuperSonics

| years3 = 1985–1986

| team3 = Tampa Bay Thrillers

| years4 = {{nbay|1985|end}}

| team4 = San Antonio Spurs

| years5 = {{nbay|1985|end}}

| team5 = New Jersey Nets

| years6 = {{nbay|1985|end}}

| team6 = Chicago Bulls

| years7 = {{nbay|1986|start}}–{{nbay|1991|end}}

| team7 = Golden State Warriors

| years8 = {{nbay|1992|full=y}}

| team8 = Sacramento Kings

| years9 = 1992

| team9 = Olympiacos

| years10 = {{nbay|1993|full=y}}

| team10 = Cleveland Cavaliers

| years11 = {{nbay|1994|start}}

| team11 = Golden State Warriors

| highlights =

• CBA champion (1986)
• CBA Playoff/Finals MVP (1986)
• 2× First-team All-PCAA (1981, 1982)

| stats_league = NBA

| stat1label = Points

| stat1value = 7,011 (9.0 ppg)

| stat2label = Rebounds

| stat2value = 2,819 (3.6 rpg)

| stat3label = Assists

| stat3value = 1,254 (1.6 apg)

}}

Roderick Dwayne Higgins (born January 31, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player who formerly served as president of basketball operations for the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Hornets. He is also the father of former Charlotte Bobcats point guard Cory Higgins.

A 6'7" forward from California State University, Fresno, Higgins played 13 seasons (1982–1994) in the NBA as a member of the Chicago Bulls, the Seattle SuperSonics, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, the Golden State Warriors, the Sacramento Kings, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game during his NBA career.

Higgins played for the Tampa Bay Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1985–86 season and won the CBA championship.{{cite web |title=1985-86 Tampa Bay Thrillers Statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/t-CBATBT/y-1985 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=March 9, 2025}} He was selected as the CBA Playoff/Finals Most Valuable Player.{{cite web |title=Rod Higgins minor league basketball statistics |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorbasketball/stats/p-higgirod001 |website=Stats Crew |access-date=February 22, 2025}}

After his playing career ended Higgins served as an assistant coach with the Warriors until 2000 when he was named assistant general manager of the Washington Wizards. He was re-hired by the Warriors on May 20, 2004, joining former teammate Chris Mullin in the team's front office.

On May 31, 2007, he was hired as the second general manager of the Charlotte Hornets (then the Charlotte Bobcats), replacing Bernie Bickerstaff.{{Cite web|date=2007-05-31|title=Bobcats hire Warriors general manager Higgins|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2888168|access-date=2021-04-13|website=ESPN.com|language=en}} In 2011, he became the team's president of basketball operations after Rich Cho was hired as general manager.{{cite news|last=Olson|first=Casey|title=Decatur grad, Rich Cho, hired as the Charlotte Bobcats' new general manager|date=June 15, 2011|newspaper=Federal Way Mirror|url=http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/fwm/sports/123950754.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620050018/http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/fwm/sports/123950754.html|archivedate=June 20, 2011}} On June 13, 2014, Higgins stepped down as President of Basketball Operations for the Charlotte Hornets.{{Cite web|last=Polacek|first=Scott|title=Rod Higgins Steps Down as Hornets' President of Basketball Operations|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2095800-rod-higgins-steps-down-as-hornets-president-of-basketball-operations|access-date=2021-04-13|website=Bleacher Report|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2014-06-13|title=Hornets' Higgins resigns as team president|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/11078372/rod-higgins-steps-charlotte-hornets-president-basketball-operations|access-date=2021-04-13|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}

Higgins also holds a distinct NBA record for playing for the most teams in one season with 4. In the 1985–86 season he played for the Seattle Supersonics, the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets, and the Chicago Bulls.