Former NBA Star Nate Robinson Announces He's Undergoing Treatment for Kidney Failure

Former NBA star Nate Robinson announced Saturday that he is undergoing treatment for renal kidney failure, an ailment he has been dealing with for the last four years, per The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

Robinson said in a statement that he decided to share his story because he wants "to be the voice for all those who are having trouble speaking about this illness, and come together for a greater cause—our health."

Robinson was selected in the first round of the 2005 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Knicks to complete the deal that also sent Quentin Richardson to New York for Kurt Thomas.

The 38-year-old spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Knicks, with his best year coming during the 2008-09 campaign when he averaged 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 74 games while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor and 32.5 percent from deep.

The Knicks traded Robinson to the Boston Celtics during the 2009-10 campaign in exchange for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker. The C's then traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2010-11 season.

The three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest winner continued to bounce around the NBA until 2015, playing for the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans during the second half of his career.

However, Robinson continued to play basketball overseas through 2018 and also played in the BIG3 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Ice Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz.

Beyond basketball, Robinson participated in a boxing match against YouTuber Jake Paul in 2020. He also launched an amateur dunk contest called "Dunk Dynasty" earlier this week, with participants including Michael Purdie, Tony Crosby, Chris Staples, Darius Clark and Jamiko McNair.