NBA Veteran Nate Robinson Reveals He's Fighting Kidney Failure

Nate Robinson – Source: Cooper Neill / Getty

NBA Veteran Nate Robinson is opening up about his battle with kidney failure and revealing that he’s still awaiting a donor.

Former NBA player Nate Robinson has always been fairly private, but he’s opening up more about his medical issues. Robinson has been battling kidney failure for over four years and in a 2022 interview with Kidney.org, he shared that he learned of his diagnosis while playing for the Knicks. 

“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,’” said Robinson. “I thought I was young and invincible. I didn’t know it was going to catch up to me.”

Ultimately his kidneys would be the reason he ended his NBA career, and after 11 seasons he was devastated to learn that the sport he loved to play was over.

Now according to HoopsHype, Robinson is sharing that he’s still looking for a kidney while undergoing dialysis three times a week. Despite the admitted struggles of the process, Robinson said that he’s staying positive.

“My journey, man, every day, one day at a time,” said Robinson.  “It’s difficult, but at the same time, I love a challenge. So every day is a new day for me. I just try to walk right with God. I just try to ask Him to give me the strength to be able to get through what I’m going through. I’m still looking for a kidney to this day.”

He continued,

“I go through dialysis three times a week for four hours. They clean my blood, they clean all my toxins out of my body, and I’m feeling better and better every day. Some days are worse than others, but I’m just blessed and I’m just happy that I can still be here to see my children and do the things that I love to do. So, it’s been rough but it’s been a great journey, great roller coaster.”

If you’ve seen a loved one fight kidney failure and attend dialysis, you know it isn’t an easy task. It’s painful to watch and kidney donors are hard to find. Hopefully, Nate can win this fight soon and put this battle behind him.