Former NBA star Nate Robinson has undergone a kidney transplant.
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The three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion has shared his health journey online, and posted his most recent update this week. He shared that he successfully underwent a kidney transplant and was working his way back to full health.
“I’m thankful for my doctors, the University of Washington, my family, my donor, and his family,” Robinson told CNN on Sunday, via his agent, Polo Kerber.
Kerber added that Robinson was “already feeling (and) looking a lot better. He walked around the hospital a bit today and is planning on watching the Super Bowl at the hospital with his donor.”
Former NBA Star Nate Robinson Successfully Underwent a Kidney Transplant
In 2022, Robinson revealed that he was battling renal disease. The situation became dire two years later. That’s when Robinson — who spent 11 years in the NBA — shared that he was looking for a kidney donor.
“It was shocking to hear that at some point, some time, my kidneys were going to go,” Robinson told Playmaker HQ in November 2022. “I wanted to enjoy my time in the league and play for as long as I could. I tried to keep it [the diagnosis] deep down, live my life, and enjoy the time I had in the NBA. I was not going to let that stop me from playing and doing what I do.”
Robinson Announced His Health Battle in 2022
Following the news, Robinson’s alma mater, the University of Washington received dozens of offers for potential donors. He ultimately matched with Washington fan Shane Cleveland, who donated one of his kidneys to the point guard this week.
In a heartwarming bit of fate, Cleveland’s wife had actually donated a kidney herself in 2011. In a heartfelt Instagram post, he thanked her for being “my biggest supporter from the start of this process.”
Robinson and Cleveland are now linked for life. In an Instagram post following their respective surgeries, the former NBA star introduced his followers to his donor, saying, “GODbless.”
“Hey Shane just wanna let you know we are family now & you’re stuck with me,” he wrote, in part. “Y’all ever heard of family at 1st sight b/c thats what we are. Big ups to the University of Washington & all the doctors 🥼 that took great care of us.”
Cleveland responded in kind, sharing photos of his family. He also posted a pic with Robinson’s mother, writing, “I got another mom to answer to now.”
Robinson was a journeyman throughout his NBA career, playing for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans.
In his 2022 Playmaker interview, he said that although kidney disease may have ended his career, he “wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
“This is my story, and this is my journey,” Robinson shared. “I’m going to be a living testimony to other kids and people around the world–they can get through something like this, and they’re not alone.”
Nate Robinson Had His NBA Career Ended By Renal Disease
The first signs of his potential health struggles came in 2006, when he was playing with the New York Knicks. Robinson suffered from high blood pressure, a leading cause of kidney disease.
“They used to tell me that we’re going to have to check your blood pressure and if your blood pressure is too high, you can’t play in the game. I used to tell them, ‘don’t check my blood pressure because I am playing regardless of what you say,'” Robinson recalled. “I thought I was young and invincible. I didn’t know it was going to catch up to me.”
However, the 40-year-old father of three said he has maintained a positive outlook despite his diagnosis.
“My whole life has been overcoming obstacles,” he told Playmaker. This is something else that I’m going to overcome.”