Former NBA player Nate Robinson is scheduled to undergo a kidney transplant Friday after a seven-year battle with renal failure, according to CBS Sports.
Robinson, 40, publicly revealed his diagnosis in 2022, stating that he had been privately battling kidney disease for the previous four years.
In a recent Instagram post, Robinson expressed gratitude for his upcoming transplant, thanking God and the people who supported him through his journey.
Robinson’s battle with renal failure has been arduous, involving regular dialysis treatments, sometimes leading to painful vomiting and hospitalization. Despite these challenges, Robinson remained grateful for access to dialysis, acknowledging that it kept him alive.
“I know that I don’t have long if I can’t get a kidney,” Robinson said in an interview with the Daily Mail. “Some people’s bodies reject dialysis. And thank God that mine accepts it and I can live. If I didn’t go to dialysis, I wouldn’t live probably longer than a week or two. So it’s serious, can’t miss a day. I go in for four hours, three days a week, four hours a day. And they clean my blood to get my toxins out. And they help me out a lot because that’s how I’m living.”
Throughout his health struggles, Robinson has strived to maintain a sense of normalcy, making dietary changes and focusing on staying healthy. He has also used his platform to raise awareness about kidney disease and inspire others facing similar challenges.
“It’s got me to slow down a lot where I can take my time to appreciate life itself,” Robinson said on the OG Show in April 2024. “Dealing with this situation with my kidneys, it’s opened my eyes where I can talk about it and help others.... I can be somebody’s reason to keep fighting and keep going, because it’s a wear and tear on you, mentally.”
Born in Seattle in 1984, Robinson would play college basketball with the UW and be the 21st pick in the 2005 NBA draft.
He would play most of his career with the New York Knicks, before being traded to the Boston Celtics. Robinson would go on to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Drafted 21st overall by the Knicks in 2005, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds throughout his career.
After basketball, Robinson opened a chicken and waffles restaurant in Rainier Beach called Nate’s Wings & Waffles. It would close in 2020 after it was unable to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robinson also faced YouTuber Jake Paul in a boxing match in 2020, losing by knockout in the second round.
©2025 Cox Media Group
