Nate Robinson on Health, Jake Paul, Wembanyama

Nate Robinson is forever indebted to Shane Cleveland, who saved his life.

Robinson had been dealing with kidney failure since his time with the New York Knicks, who drafted him with No. 21 pick in 2005 NBA draft out of the University of Washington.

Robinson went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, winning the Slam Dunk Contest three times at 5-foot-9. After his playing days, Robinson briefly ventured into professional boxing, but in 2022 was struck with a devastating diagnosis — in order to live, he had to get a new kidney.

Cleveland happen to be at the spring football game at Washington when it was announced that Robinson was in need of a kidney. Less than a year later, Cleveland’s kidney was removed and given to Robinson.

Robinson spoke to Heavy.com in association with casino.org, where you can review online gambling, about his health journey, his take on young NBA stars, and his one-time foe — Jake Paul.

Nate Robinson Found a Support System in the Fight for His Life

Cleveland said he was inspired to donate his kidney after seeing the impact his wife, Kara, had when she donated her kidney previously. Robinson said he now has a friend for life.

“That’s my brother,” Robinson said. “We talk all the time.”

Robinson asked Cleveland to join a football pick ’em league with “fun, friendly wagers.”

“The cool thing about getting a transplant is the community of people who have been through kidney failure,” he added. “It’s a lot of people in the world that people don’t even know. I ran into two or three people at my gym alone that had kidney failure. So, you build your community, find new friends.

Robinson also had his father to lean on. Jacque Robinson, a former football star for the Huskies himself, also had kidney disease and was on dialysis for 10 years before receiving a transplant.

“We had two separate kidney diseases,” Robinson said. “They thought it was hereditary, but it wasn’t. The fact that I was able to go through it with my father was pretty cool. He was able to coach me through it. Somebody so close to me was fighting the same fight I was fighting. It was pretty cool to bond with your pops like that.”

“It’s been a long journey, came a long way,” he added. “Just had to educate myself on kidney failure, being on dialysis, learning on how to eat right, taking care of my body, taking my medicine, working out. You get your life back with a fresh start with a new kidney.

“It’s been struggle the previous four to five years. It really was hard. But you find ways to deal, to cope. You find people to lean on, your family. It takes a village.

“It’s been great ever since getting a kidney and I’m just blessed that I can continue to thrive and be here to watch my kids grow and the breathe the air and appreciate the earth that God put here for us.”

Nate Robinson Says Young Players Have it Easier

Robinson, who originally attended Washington on a football scholarship, is not afraid to speak his mind about the state of the NBA and sports in general.

He recently spoke out against young NBA players chasing the bag instead of the legacy. He shared more in his interview with Heavy.com about the state of the league, saying he admires many players but he thinks it’s primed to evolve.

“Back in the day, getting to the pinnacle, getting to the NBA seemed like it was a harder task,” the 41-year-old said. “There’s different avenues now. There’s different gateways and portals to get to the league. It’s changing in many ways.

“The players are changing, the players are evolving. You got centers shooting threes, step back and dribble. Back in the day, if someone was good at shooting threes, it be that person shooting. It’s gonna be fun to see what the league looks like 10 years from now.

“Before you now it they’re gonna start adding four-point plays and shooting one free throw for two points. It’s gonna be a different NBA and different world soon.”

Nate Robinson Very High on Spurs, Wemby

When asked who he’d consider the top players in the NBA, he named the usual suspects — Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He thinks the Oklahoma City Thunder are built to repeat as champions, but likes the developments happening in San Antonio with the Spurs.

“I think San Antonio is doing a good job of doing what OKC did with draft picks,” Robinson said. “Picking the right guys. I think San Antonio is back on what they wanted with David Robinson, adding Tim Duncan, then Manu (Ginóbili) and Tony (Parker). I think they’re back on that again. San Antonio is gonna be a team, not right now, but this year they will open a lot of people’s eyes. I think the next couple years, they’ll be a team that wins a championship soon.”

According to “official” NBA height measurements, Wemby is 19 inches taller than Robinson. From a pure entertainment standpoint, the idea that one of the league’s smallest players ever hooping with the Frenchmen, will have to remain in basketball fans imagination.

“Who wouldn’t want to be on a team that looks like an alien,” Robinson said. “A once in a lifetime kind of player, of course you want to be a part of that. You wanna be that guy on the team that throws the lob.”

“The LeBrons, the Kobes, the Jordans,” Robinson added. “You want to be on those teams with those guys that set a mark on this league and in the history books. (Wemby) is a great player. Very young but upside is crazy. The ceiling is through the firmament.”

If Wemby continues dominant play and winning games, Robinson thinks he can win MVP. “How can you not?” he said. “When you’re a fan favorite and the fans of the world really rock with you like that? How can you not?”

Nate Robinson Think Tank Davis Would Have Struggled Against Jake Paul

Robinson’s one-fight professional boxing career happened in November 2020, amid the pandemic, against Paul, known as “The Problem Child.”

It was only Paul’s second fight and and he won it in devastating fashion, knocking out Robinson the second-round as Snoop Dogg’s provided worldwide commentary. Robinson was adamant that he would defeat the YouTube star turned boxer, but it was a coming out party for Paul. He has grown his record to 12-1 by mainly fighting retired boxers, including beating up on then-58-year-old Mike Tyson.

Paul, 28, has grown into a large figure in the boxing community, though, attracting new audiences to the sport. But his attempts to build a career without facing a professional boxer, caught him some flack. When he did fight a professional boxer, Tommy Fury, he lost in a split decision.

He was set to fight Gervonta “Tank” Davis later this month, but the fight was cancelled after an ex-girlfriend filed a civil suit against Davis alleging assault. Davis, 31, is one of the biggest stars in boxing and has never lost a fight. Despite being much smaller, he was adamant that Paul would lose.

But Robinson is not so sure. He compared the fight to a matchup of Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson in their primes. He said the size difference would have been a problem for Davis.

“They have weight classes for a reason,” Robinson said. “You tell me Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather jump in a ring, who do you think is gonna win that fight?”

Nate Robinson Says Jake Paul ‘Doing What He’s Supposed to Do’

Robinson now praises Paul, saying despite the critics, he’s on a solid path and bringing attention to boxing.

“He’s out there trying to do what people say he can’t do,” Robinson said. “I know the people and the fans want to see him fight a legit boxer. So, the Tank Davis thing would have been cool to see happen.

“He’s out here doing what he’s supposed to do. I don’t know why people are so, everything looks fake. The internet has done that. The internet has made people think and question everything that they see.”

Click here to read article