Inside The Huskies

Nate Robinson Reveals He's Undergoing a Kidney Transplant

The former UW and NBA standout has been dealing with this health issue for nearly two decades.
Dan Raley|
Ex-Husky Nate Robinson is shown playing for the Denver Nuggets during his NBA career.
Ex-Husky Nate Robinson is shown playing for the Denver Nuggets during his NBA career. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Nate Robinson, one of the more extraordinary and electrifying athletes to come through Seattle and the University of Washington yet dealing with kidney failure for nearly two decades, revealed on Friday he was undergoing an organ transplant that same day to save his life.

Robinson, 40, has been on kidney dialysis for more than three years now in his hometown as his health situation had become much more dire with him falling ill during the COVID pandemic and experiencing a complete kidney shutdown.

"I'm here to celebrate and thank the LORD for all he done in my life -- today is the day I get a new kidney," Robinson posted on Instagram around 6:30 a.m. "Thank you to all the people that sent prayers and texted my phone giving me encouragement and love!"

For several months, the former Husky basketball and football player, son of a legend and an NBA fan favorite, had been actively seeking a donor match, which apparently finally happened to enable him to save his life.

Robinson is the son of Jacque Robinson, the equally legendary Husky running back and a one-time Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player, who similarly experienced kidney failure, underwent dialysis and has received a new kidney.

First diagnosed with high blood pressure, which is a leading cause of kidney disease, Robinson has been dealing with declining health ever since he entered the NBA as a first-round pick after a stellar Husky basketball career playing alongside Brandon Roy and Will Conroy.

Whereas this 5-foot-9 dynamo had this overly athletic body that mesmerized everyone, enabling him to win NBA dunking contests and compete with players well over a foot taller than him, it was steadily breaking down on him.

Doctors even tried to no avail to get him to stop playing when his blood pressure reached dangerous levels, yet he felt indestructible and played on for 11 seasons and 816 games for eight different NBA franchises.

Medical personnel advised Robinson it was just a matter of time before he would likely have to submit to getting a new kidney and go through the arduous process of finding a donor match.

In the past several months, the UW, the NBA, people all around him and media outlets such as Men's Health Magazine and even this Sports Illustrated website have gone to great lengths to publicize his ordeal and create awareness that he needed a kidney.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

Home/Husky Legends