Known both for his tremendous athleticism and fun-loving demeanor, Nate Robinson has become one of the better-liked NBA players by basketball fans. That is also why his recent revelation about battling depression may come as surprise to many who have followed the point guard’s career.
Through a feature by Mirin Fader of Bleacher Report, it’s been revealed that the high-flying Robinson battled with depression.
“The NBA gave me my depression,” Robinson says. “I’ve never been a depressed person in my life.”
Robinson was a fan favorite wherever he went in the NBA. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the No. 21 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft before he was traded on the same day to the New York Knicks.
At 5’9” and with a 180-pound frame, Robinson did not have the typical build of an NBA player, much less become a regular part of any team’s rotation. The former Washington Husky, however, did prove his critics wrong, as he played in the NBA for eight across 11 seasons.
It was his time with the Chicago Bulls during the 2012-13 season that Robinson started seeking help for his depression, brought about by the pressure of having to align his behavior according to what his teams want him to be, according to him.
“But the hardest thing in my whole life, of my 34 years in existence on earth, was dealing with 11 years in the NBA of trying to be somebody that [NBA coaches] want me to be.”
Nate Robinson has not officially retired from the NBA yet, and is even attempting to get back in the league.
He last suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2015-16 campaign but appeared in just two games before getting waived by the team.
Robinson has career averages of 11.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals in 618 (107 starts) games.
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