Former NBA guard Nate Robinson announced on Saturday that he has been undergoing treatment for kidney (renal) failure, a situation he has been dealing with for the last four years.
Stating that he was “never a vocal leader on the court,” Robinson stated his hope that going public with his diagnosis can help others in a similar situation.
11-year NBA veteran Nate Robinson – a three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion – announces he is battling renal kidney failure and is undergoing treatment. 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/VICvjXOW7k
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 16, 2022
Selected by the Suns with the 21st overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, Robinson played for eight teams over the course of his 11 seasons in the league. He’s best known for his All-Star Weekend exploits, becoming the first player in league history to win the Slam Dunk Contest on three separate occasions (2006, 2009, and 2010).
Robinson is also one of four players to win back-to-back slam dunk titles, with Michael Jordan (1987, 1988), Jason Richardson (2002, 2003), and Zach LaVine (2009, 2010) being the others.
Since completing his NBA career after two games with the Pelicans during the 2015-16 season, Robinson has branched out into other sports. The former Washington defensive back tried out for the Seahawks in 2016 and fought Jake Paul in an exhibition boxing match in 2020.
