Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson (born May 31, 1984, in Seattle, Washington) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who plays for the
Oklahoma City ThunderThe Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
. Robinson is listed at just 5 in 9 in (1.75 m) with shoes, making him one of the shortest players currently in the NBA behind
Earl BoykinsEarl Antoine Boykins is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. Standing at 5 feet, 5 inches in height, he is the second shortest player in NBA history behind Muggsy Bogues, who was 5 feet, 3 inches tall. His NBA listed...
, but Robinson has an extremely high
vertical leapA vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
of 43.5 inches (110.5 cm), currently one of the highest vertical leaps of any NBA player.
Robinson has served as a successful point guard for both the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics, achieving career stats of 12 points, 1 steal, and 3 assists in an average of 24 minutes played per game. Robinson is the NBA's first three-time slam dunk champion.
High school
Robinson spent his first two years of high school at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle. He moved to Union City, California, where he played for
James Logan High SchoolJames Logan High School is a public secondary school in Union City, California, United States. The school is administrated by the New Haven Unified School District and has an enrollment of more than 4000 students.-Demographics:...
for one year, and then returned to Rainier Beach. At Beach, he excelled in basketball,
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and track. He led his basketball team to a 28–1 record and won the AAA state championship as a senior with
University of LouisvilleThe University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
star
Terrence WilliamsTerrence Deshon Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. Williams was drafted 11th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Nets. He was the senior co-captain for Rick Pitino's 2008-09 University of Louisville Cardinals...
,
USCThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
alumnus
Lodrick StewartLodrick Stewart is a former American college basketball player. He played at the University of Southern California. Lodrick and twin brother Rodrick, attended Joyner Elementary School in Tupelo, Mississippi before moving to Seattle, Washington.-High school career:Stewart attended Rainier Beach...
, and former
University of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
player Rodrick Stewart. He averaged 17.9 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals per game as a senior in 2002, and was named the AAA State player of the year in Washington. He led his team to a no. 7 national ranking in
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and was one of the 100 finalists for the McDonald's High School All-America team. Rainier Beach retired Robinson's No. 2 jersey on September 10, 2010.
Also in 2002 he was named the AAA player of the year for football where he totaled over 1,200 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving while scoring 21 touchdowns. And he was a SuperPrep All-American in 2001 and was ranked as the nation's 17th-best player at the athlete position. He was also a standout in track and field, setting a Washington state record of 13.85 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles. He also placed second in the 110-meter hurdles and second in the long jump at the 2002 state track meet.
College
Robinson had a successful collegiate career in which he led the
Washington HuskiesUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
to two straight
NCAA basketball tournamentThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances, including a
Sweet SixteenThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearance during his junior year . At the end of that season he was named a third-team
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and
National Association of Basketball CoachesThe National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
All-American .
Robinson also played
footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at the University of Washington. Robinson's college football career is most remembered for his
interceptionAn interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
in the final minutes of regulation of the 2002
Apple CupThe Apple Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game played annually by the teams of the two largest universities in the U.S. state of Washington: the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State University Cougars...
against the
Washington StateWashington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
CougarsThe Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
, who were at the time ranked #3 in the
AP pollThe Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. With minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Cougars leading by 3 points, Robinson intercepted a pass thrown by Matt Kegel intended for 6'6"
Mike BushMike Bush is a veteran, award winning news anchor/reporter for KSDK-TV in St. Louis, Missouri.- Biography :At the time of this writing, he is the anchor for Newschannel5's 5, and 10pm newscasts...
. The Huskies scored a field goal on the ensuing possession and won the game in triple overtime.
2005–06
Robinson was the 21st selection of the
2005 NBA DraftThe 2005 NBA Draft took place on June 28, 2005 in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and non-North American leagues...
, chosen by the
Phoenix SunsThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
before being traded to the
New York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
with
Quentin RichardsonQuentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
for
Kurt ThomasKurt Vincent Thomas is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls. Thomas is a 6'9", 230 lb. power forward/center known for his hard-nosed playing style and tough defense. Drafted by the Miami Heat in 1995, Thomas played college basketball at Texas...
and the draft rights to second-round pick (54th overall)
Dijon ThompsonDijon Lynn Thompson is an American professional basketball player. While he played mainly at the shooting guard position in his early career, he proved he can also play as a small forward, during his European years.-College:Thompson was a standout at UCLA having an all time scoring average of 15.6...
.
Robinson played in 72 games his rookie year, starting 26 of them, while averaging 9.3 points and 2.0 assists per game. He had a major breakout performance against the
Philadelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
at
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
where he scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Of his 17 points, three came on a game-winning three-pointer at the overtime buzzer over his boyhood idol,
Allen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
. During the
All-Star weekendThe 2006 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 19, 2006 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, home of the Houston Rockets. The game was the 55th annual All-Star game...
, Robinson won the 2006 Sprite Rising Stars
Slam Dunk ContestThe Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
, edging
Andre IguodalaAndre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
141–140 in an unprecedented overtime, although he took 14 attempts to make his final dunk. In his most memorable dunk of the night, he jumped over 1986 champion
Spud WebbAnthony Jerome Webb , also known as Spud Webb, is a retired American NBA professional basketball point guard most notable for winning a slam dunk contest despite being one of the shortest NBA players in the history of the league...
, and received a perfect 50-point score for the dunk.
During the 2005–06 season, Robinson was reportedly involved in physical altercations between teammates
Jerome JamesJerome Keith James is an American professional basketball player. James played at Florida A&M University, and was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 1998 NBA Draft. Over the course of his career, he has played for the Kings, Seattle SuperSonics and New York Knicks...
and
Malik RoseMalik Jabari Rose is an American former professional basketball player, and current broadcaster, serving as a studio analyst for the New York Knicks, and the lead color analyst for the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.-High school and college:Rose graduated from Overbrook High School in...
in separate incidents. He was at one point considered by Knicks' coach
Larry BrownLawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
to be demoted to the
NBA Development LeagueThe NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
. He was instead placed on the Inactive List for 10 games between February 24 and March 11.
2006–07
On December 16, 2006, Robinson was one of the primary participants in the brawl between the
Denver NuggetsThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
and the Knicks. His fight with Nuggets guard J. R. Smith landed in the seats, and he was suspended for 10 games as a result.
Robinson competed in the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest to defend his 2006 title, and came in second place after
Gerald GreenGerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
. In the second round, Green's
Boston CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
teammate
Paul PiercePaul Anthony Pierce , nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the...
brought out a cardboard cut-out of Robinson to dunk over, but Robinson came out and stood in its place instead, and Green jumped over him to complete the dunk.
2008–09
On February 14, 2009, Robinson won the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition. During the first round he completed two dunks, the second of which included jumping off Knicks teammate
Wilson ChandlerWilson Chandler is an American basketball player currently with Zhejiang Guangsha of the Chinese Basketball Association. He previously played in the National Basketball Association with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets...
, who was on the floor. He finished second in the first round with a score of 87. After the first round, he went into the locker room and changed into a green Knicks jersey with green shorts and green shoes representing
KryptoniteKryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
(which he called "KryptoNATE"), countering competitor
Dwight HowardDwight David Howard is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
's Superman theme. In the final round, Robinson, who is only 5 feet 9, jumped over Dwight Howard (6 feet 11 inches) for the slam. Robinson went on to win his second Slam Dunk title with 52% of the fan vote.
Robinson enjoyed his best season in 2008–2009, averaging 17.2 points per game, 4.1 assists per game, and almost 30 minutes per game. On February 23, 2009, Robinson scored 41 points and also had 8 rebounds.
On August 12, 2009, Robinson reported on his
TwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
page that he would change his number from number 4 to number 2 for the 2009–10 season. On September 25, 2009, Robinson re-signed with the New York Knicks to a one-year deal.
2009–10
After a series of disagreements,
Mike D'AntoniMichael Andrew "Mike" D'Antoni is an Italian-American former basketball player and is currently the head coach of the NBA's New York Knicks. While head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors for the 2004–05 NBA season after the Suns posted 33 more wins than the previous...
removed Robinson from the Knicks' rotation for 14 games beginning on December 1, 2009. Robinson's agent,
Aaron GoodwinAaron Goodwin is a sports agent who represents players in the National Basketball Association and Women's National Basketball Association. He was the initial agent for LeBron James, and negotiated endorsement deals paying James over $135 million, including a $90 million deal with Nike. James...
, urged the Knicks to deal his client, or perhaps work out a buy-out with the team. After remaining on the bench for nearly a month, Robinson made his return on January 1, 2010, against the
Atlanta HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
and scored 41 points, off the bench, in the Knicks' victory.
On February 13, 2010, Robinson won the 2010 Sprite
Slam Dunk ContestThe Slam Dunk Contest is an annual National Basketball Association competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. The contest was inaugurated by the American Basketball Association at its All-Star Game in 1976 in Denver, the same year the slam dunk was legalized in the NCAA...
, becoming the first three-time Slam Dunk champion.
2010
On February 18, 2010, Robinson was traded to the Boston Celtics along with
Marcus LandryMarcus Landry is an American professional basketball player for Assignia Manresa. Landry attended Vincent High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
in exchange for
Eddie HouseEdward L. House II , commonly referred to as Eddie House, is an American professional basketball player in the NBA for the Miami Heat.-Early life:...
,
Bill WalkerWilliam "Bill" Henry Walker is an American professional basketball player with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association...
, and
J. R. GiddensJustin Ray Giddens is an American professional basketball player for PAOK Thessaloniki B.C.. The shooting guard was selected out of the University of New Mexico by the Boston Celtics with the 30th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft...
. Robinson played in 26 games with the Celtics averaging 6.5 points per game in 14.7 minutes per game.
Despite his limited playing time during the playoffs with the Boston Celtics, Robinson made key contributions in the series clinching Game 6 of the
Eastern Conference FinalsThe 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
where he scored all of his 13 points in the second quarter.
2011
On February 24, 2011, Robinson was traded along with
Kendrick PerkinsKendrick Perkins is an American professional basketball player who plays as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA....
to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for
Jeff GreenJeffrey Lynn Green is an American professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association. Green attended Georgetown University until following his junior year, when he entered the 2007 NBA Draft...
and
Nenad KrstićNenad Krstić is a Serbian professional basketball player for CSKA Moscow. Krstić is officially listed at 7'0" tall.-KK Partizan:...
.
Regular season
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06
| style="text-align:left;"|
New YorkThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 72 ||
26 || 21.4 || .407 || .397 || .752 || 2.3 || 2.0 || .8 || .0 || 9.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07
| style="text-align:left;"| New York
| 64 || 5 || 21.2 || .434 || .390 || .777 || 2.4 || 1.4 || .8 || .1 || 10.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08
| style="text-align:left;"| New York
| 72 || 17 || 26.2 || .423 || .332 || .786 || 3.1 || 2.9 || .8 || .0 || 12.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2008–09The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| style="text-align:left;"| New York
|
74 || 11 ||
29.9 || .437 || .325 ||
.841 ||
3.9 ||
4.1 ||
1.3 || .1 ||
17.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2009–10The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| style="text-align:left;"| New York
| 30 || 2 || 24.4 ||
.452 || .375 || .778 || 2.4 || 3.7 || .9 ||
.2 || 13.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2009–10The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| style="text-align:left;"|
BostonThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
| 26 || 0 || 14.7 || .401 ||
.414 || .615 || 1.5 || 2.0 || .8 || .0 || 6.5
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11
| style="text-align:left;"| Boston
| 55 || 11 || 17.9 || .404 || .328 || .825 || 1.6 || 1.9 || .5 || .1 || 7.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11
| style="text-align:left;"|
Oklahoma CityThe Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 4 || 0 || 7.5 || .267 || .250 || .750 || .3 || 1.5 || .0 || .0 || 3.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 397 || 72 || 23.0 || .425 || .353 || .793 || 2.6 || 2.6 || .9 || .1 || 11.3
Playoffs
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2010The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| style="text-align:left;"|
BostonThe Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
|
17 || 0 ||
7.5 ||
.375 ||
.333 || .800 ||
.8 ||
1.1 ||
.4 ||
.1 ||
4.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
2011The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| style="text-align:left;"|
Oklahoma CityThe Oklahoma City Thunder are a professional basketball franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ; their home court is at Chesapeake Energy Arena....
| 3 || 0 || 4.0 || .286 ||
.333 ||
1.000 || .0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 2.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Career
| style="text-align:left;"|
| 20 || 0 || 7.0 || .366 || .333 || .824 || .7 || .9 || .3 || .0 || 4.0
Personal
Robinson's father,
Jacque RobinsonJacque Robinson was a drafted running back by the Buffalo Bills. During his college career at Washington, Robinson amassed 2,300 career yards. He is also the only player to ever win MVP honors in both the 1982 Rose Bowl and 1985 Orange Bowl.Robinson is the father of NBA guard Nate...
, played football for the Huskies and earned MVP honors in both the
1982 Rose BowlThe 1982 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game, played on January 1, 1982. It was the 68th Rose Bowl Game. The Washington Huskies defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes by a score of 28-0. Washington Freshman Jacque Robinson gained 142 yards on 20 carries and set up or scored three of the Huskies' four...
and 1985 Orange Bowl. His mother, Renee Busch, operates a beauty salon in Seattle. Robinson's great-great-grandfather on his maternal side was
FilipinoThe Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
.
External links