Former NBA star Nate Robinson opened up about his yearslong battle with kidney failure and his continued search for a kidney donor.
Robinson, 40, was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2006 and has been undergoing treatment for renal kidney failure since 2018. Kidney failure is a condition in which one or both kidneys no longer function properly eliminate toxins from the body, which can lead symptoms including extreme fatigue, nausea and vomiting, cramps, swelling, confusion or trouble concentrating, and more, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Robinson, an 11-year NBA veteran who retired in 2016, first made his diagnosis public in October 2022. Two years later, he said he’s still searching for a kidney donor so he can continue to live.
“I gotta stick around,” Robinson told Men’s Health in an interview published online this week. “I want to stay alive for the next 40 years: be a grandpa, see my kids’ kids, take them to the gym, tell them the stories of when I was in the NBA around ‘Bron and Kob’ and all these guys. I gotta fight for it.”
Black people are three times as likely as white people to develop kidney failure and account for about one-third of all kidney failure patients in the U.S., despite representing 14% of the U.S. population, according to Men’s Health.
Since his renal kidney failure diagnosis in 2018, Robinson’s kidneys have been operating at less than 15% of their optimal capacity, according to the magazine. Robinson said he’s thankful for the support he’s received from his friends and family, and specifically pointed to his mom as a pillar of strength during his battle with kidney failure.
“She knows I’m a fighter,” he said. “She knows that I’m gonna give it my all like anything else. That’s one thing I respect about myself. I’ve never been a quitter. And I ain’t gon’ start now.”
Robinson, the NBA’s lone three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion despite his 5-foot-9 stature, was once known for his high-flying acrobatics and vertical leaps. When he first began dialysis treatment in 2018, just two years after his retirement from the NBA, Robinson said his transition from star athlete to ill and frail kidney failure patient led to anger and self-isolation.
“I felt like I was Superman. I never thought I would get sick,” Robinson said.
“I was so angry in the beginning. I was so mean. I didn’t want to bring that darkness to (my family),” he added. “I had a kick in the ass from my lady. She told me they were here to love me, they understood what I was going through, but you can’t be mean to yourself, and you can’t be mean to us. And I didn’t notice it until they called me out on it. Sometimes you need that; you need to know when you’re fuckin’ up. I was acting a certain way where I couldn’t see it.”
Even as Robinson awaits a kidney donor, he admits the idea of kidney replacement surgery unnerves him.
“I had a couple of dreams about that (expletive),” he said. “It’s scary. Because we both got to go under the knife, and a lot of people don’t make it. I would hate for somebody to give me that kidney and die to go through this. That would hurt me so much. For someone to have to die for me to live.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for it. In my dreams, my family members give me a kidney, and they all ended up passing away. That kind of (expletive) with me,” he added.
In the interim, now six years after his diagnosis and awaiting a light at the end of the tunnel, Robinson said his diagnosis has led him to find gratitude in living.
“I learned that I had to count my blessings,” he said. “There are people here with diabetes. They’re blind or have piss bags, or something is wrong with their insides. And for the most part, I’m healthy. So count your blessings. Humble yourself. My (family) kept telling me that I couldn’t stop living.”
Robinson, a former standout at the University of Washington, played 11 seasons in the NBA from 2005 to 2016. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns as the 21st overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, but was soon after traded to the New York Knicks, where he played his first four-plus seasons. He also played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans.