Inside The Huskies

The Man Who Provided Nate Robinson with New Kidney, Life Extension

Shane Cleveland appears to be a Husky fan, doting father and boating enthusiast.
Dan Raley|
Shane Cleveland and Nate Robinson share a moment together after donating and receiving a kidney.
Shane Cleveland and Nate Robinson share a moment together after donating and receiving a kidney. | Robinson

Nate Robinson literally made a friend for life in a Northwest man named Shane Cleveland, a Husky fan who on Friday donated a kidney to the former NBA standout and the legendary University of Washington athlete.

In post-op at the University of Washington Medical Center that day, Robinson posed for smiling photos with Cleveland after both emerged in hospital gowns following their respective surgeries in facilitating and receiving the kidney transplant.

"God bless this man named Shane Cleveland -- this man literally saved my life," Robinson wrote on Instagram. "Shane, we're family now."

On his own social media account, Cleveland is shown in his profile photo wearing a purple UW hat while standing up high in Husky Stadium, with Lake Washington in the backdrop.

"You are so deserving Nate and I am proud to be a part of this with you," Cleveland posted.

Robinson, who played both UW football and basketball before spending more than decade entertaining everyone in the NBA, was need of a new kidney after dealing with two decades of organ failure, to the point he went on dialysis and stepped up his pursuit of a match.

From what we know, Cleveland is a boating enthusiast, due in part to his Instagram handle -- pnw_whaler, which Robinson urged everyone to follow -- and a photo of a Boston Whaler on this man's Instagram account.

He has a big family filled daughters, shown on his Instagram account with them all huddled around him on his hospital bed following the transplant surgery.

Cleveland wrote how he was compelled to be a kidney donor after his wife did the same in 2011.

"I would have never considered this except for her generous act," he posted.

He also has a sense of humor, referring to his spouse as AKA "female companion," which is what a writer for Sports Illustrated's New York Knicks website labeled her after lookng over that aforementioned Husky Stadium image on Instagram and writing a story.

In another photo, Cleveland was shown receiving a hug in his hospital bed from Renee Busch, Robinson's mother.

As for Nate himself, Cleveland posted, "My new brother!"

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

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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.

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