Former NBA star Nate Robinson is taking on Jake Paul in a boxing match as an undercard fight to Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr.
If you’re a fan of Paul, you may not know much about Robinson aside from the fact he played in the NBA. But Robinson is more than just a former basketball player. After shining as a multi-sport athlete in high school, Robinson actually went to Washington on a football scholarship.
He wasn’t a scrub, either. He played in all 13 games in 2002, starting in the final six as a cornerback. During the season, he intercepted two passes and made 34 tackles. However, as a sophomore, Robinson opted for basketball and it turned out to be a good decision. He made All-Pac-10 first team in his sophomore season. He made All-Pac-10 first team again as a junior, and then opted to enter the NBA Draft.
In 2005, he was a first-round draft pick by the Suns, who then traded him to the Knicks on draft night. Robinson played for the Knicks until 2010, and eventually became a journeyman NBA player, despite playing well wherever he went.
Below, we’ll go into more detail about Robinson’s NBA career.
MORE: Everything to know about Jake Paul’s fight vs. Nate Robinson
Nate Robinson career earnings as an NBA player
- Nate Robinson career NBA earnings: $24,555,319
Nate Robinson earned over $24 million throughout his NBA career in salaries alone. He earned those salaries through eight different teams over the course of 11 seasons.
The full breakdown, courtesy of HoopsHype, is below:
| Season | Team | Salary |
| 2015/16 | New Orleans Pelicans | $26,456 |
| 2014/15 | Boston Celtics | $2,106,720 |
| 2013/14 | Denver Nuggets | $2,016,000 |
| 2012/13 | Chicago Bulls | $1,146,337 |
| 2011/12 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $4,500,000 |
| 2011/12 | Golden State Warriors | $983,307 |
| 2010/11 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $4,200,000 |
| 2009/10 | Boston Celtics | $4,000,000 |
| 2008/09 | New York Knicks | $2,020,179 |
| 2007/08 | New York Knicks | $1,268,160 |
| 2006/07 | New York Knicks | $1,185,480 |
| 2005/06 | New York Knicks | $1,102,680 |
Nate Robinson: Slam Dunk champion
At 5-foot-9, Nate Robinson became a notable NBA player because of his size. But he also made a name for himself in the league’s Slam Dunk contests. Robinson became the first-ever 3-time winner of the Slam Dunk contest, winning in 2006, 2009 and 2010. Interestingly enough, all three of his titles came as a member of the Knicks.
Speaking to NBA.com after winning his third title, he explained the key to winning.
“You’ve got to kind of figure out a dunk that nobody’s tried,” Robinson said of finding something new, or at least refurbished, to dazzle dunk devotees. “Or kind of like a tribute dunk, I guess or you know, a copycat dunk, you could say. But myself, I think, ‘What can get the kids out of their seats? What can get people’s attention?’ That’s what you’ve got to try to do.”
Robinson never gave a reason why, but he told NBA.com that he “retired” from the dunk contest after winning in 2010.
Why did Nate Robinson go from basketball to boxing?
Retiring from the NBA and becoming a professional boxer at age 36 isn’t something most people do. But Nate Robinson isn’t most people, and that’s what he’s trying to prove in this boxing match.
Speaking to ESPN, Robinson said this boxing match is to help prove to others why he’s a top-tier athlete.
“But I just want people to respect me as a person, as an athlete and as a boxer because I’m going through it,” Robinson said. “I’m not taking it easy and going through the motions. What they’ll see Nov. 28 is a Nate Robinson that really put in work to really get to this point, and I hope I surprise a lot of people, because a lot of people think I’m gonna lose.”
Also, Robinson is just excited about the opportunity overall.
“I’ve been a fan of boxing my whole life. Me and my brother, we used to slap box and use boxing gloves in the backyard with my dad. So, it’s nothing new, it’s just real business now,” Robinson said. “I’ve played in front of thousands of people my whole life hooping, so just being able to step into a realm that I’ve never been in before is challenging for me, but it’s also fun to try to see how far I really can go with this.”