Nate Robinson works harder and smarter than most. The 5’9″ former NBA player is the only three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion in history. Since retiring in 2018, he’s kept busy with a variety of creative and business ventures tailored to his personal charisma and sense of style. However, his current claim to fame was a very public, and viral, knockout in the boxing ring. Never one to wallow in defeat, Robinson has shaken off his L, always believing that you can “Find Your Win.”
The following interview has been lightly edited.
What are your all-time basketball influences?
For sure, I’m going to say Michael Jordan, because who doesn’t want to be like Mike? I know it sounds corny and cheesy from back in the day, but he was the real thing. Michael Jordan made it seem like you could fly, that you could do anything. Seeing him play and moving on the court, he made it so cool to want to play basketball, and be good at basketball. Another guy that I take my hat off to is Allen Iverson. He made it cool to be yourself, too, an individual. He made it cool to have tats and braids and just be yourself. He paved the way for guys like myself in the NBA to be comfortable in their own skins. Allen Iverson has a lot to do with that.
As a three times slam dunk champion, would you rather posterize a guy or hit a game-winning three?
It depends on who the three-pointer the game-winning shot is on. Posterizing someone by dunking on them is always cool. Now, if your game-winning show was posterizing someone, that would be awesome. Your game-winning shot is dunking on somebody. That’d be cool as hell. But I would probably say game-winning shot because when I hit it over Iverson during my rookie year, man, it changed my life. It changed so much for me. I’ve dunked on a lot of guys, but hitting the shot over your favorite player… And I did it at a time when basketball was raw and real, it wasn’t so soft as it is now.
What’s the most overrated?
Coaches that control players, controlling their playing by controlling their ability to play minutes. That was overrated; it was overrated as fuck. When you go to the league and you play, you feel like you earned your way there. Then you bust your ass and you don’t even play sometimes. Coaches not giving equal opportunity to guys who really put in the work to play. I’m not saying to start, but to play more minutes than what they’re getting. They don’t get the opportunity.
What’s the most underrated?
Hard workers are the most underrated motherfuckers on the planet. When you deserve that raise and somebody else gets it that you feel didn’t deserve it, that’s some shit. Being a person that works hard and doesn’t get that credit they deserve, that’s underrated.
What’s the most underrated NBA city to travel to?
I’ll say Orlando. Orlando was cool. Certain places are fun. Everybody is cool. You wouldn’t think Orlando would be a place that was super underrated. It’s nice out, you don’t have to wear a jacket, you can chill.
What inspires you right now?
My kids inspire me a lot. And to be able to bounce back from stuff that people don’t think you can bounce back from. Those two things together. Being able to show my kids what it looks like to work hard, and to work hard with them so they know they’re not doing it by themselves. That’s the inspiration for me.
What’s next for you?
Honestly, I don’t know, man. I’m trying to try to do a lot of things. I’m trying to create a couple of shows that I want to create. I’ve got a couple of business ventures. I’m doing HOLDAT with my boy, Carlos Boozer. But just fun stuff now, just cool stuff. I just want to keep doing fun things.
