Nate Robinson was born on May 31, 1984, in Seattle, Washington, which makes him 42 years old in 2026. The 5-foot-9 point guard spent 11 seasons in the NBA, played for eight NBA franchises, and became the league’s first three-time Slam Dunk Contest champion in 2010. Here is a clear timeline of his life and career, with the key ages and dates checked against the public record. More from us: Is Aishah Hasnie Married?
Nate Robinson quick facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson |
| Born | May 31, 1984, Seattle, Washington |
| Age in 2026 | 42 |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Position | Point guard |
| High school | Rainier Beach High School, Seattle |
| College | University of Washington (football and basketball) |
| NBA draft | 2005, first round, 21st overall (Phoenix Suns, traded to the New York Knicks on draft night) |
| NBA seasons | 11 |
| Slam Dunk Contest titles | 3 (2006, 2009, 2010) |
| Father | Jacque Robinson, former Washington Huskies and NFL running back |
How old is Nate Robinson?
Robinson turned 42 on May 31, 2026. Some older articles list him as 39 or 40 because they were written in 2023 or 2024 and never updated. Since his birth date is well documented, the simple rule is this: he adds a year every May 31. He was 21 when he was drafted in June 2005, 25 when he won his third dunk title in February 2010, and 31 when he played his final NBA games in the fall of 2015.
Nate Robinson’s age at key career moments
| Year | Milestone | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Won the Washington AAA state title with Rainier Beach | 17 |
| 2005 | Drafted 21st overall | 21 |
| 2006 | First Slam Dunk Contest win | 21 |
| 2009 | Second dunk title, jumping over Dwight Howard | 24 |
| 2010 | First three-time dunk champion, traded to Boston | 25 |
| 2013 | Playoff breakout with the Chicago Bulls | 28 |
| 2015 | Last NBA games, with the New Orleans Pelicans | 31 |
| 2017 | Venezuelan league title and Finals MVP with Guaros de Lara | 33 |
| 2020 | Boxing match against Jake Paul | 36 |
Early life in Seattle
Robinson grew up in South Seattle. Athletic talent runs in the family: his father, Jacque Robinson, was a Washington Huskies running back who earned MVP honors in the 1982 Rose Bowl and the 1985 Orange Bowl, and later had a short NFL career. Robinson is also a cousin of former NBA guard Tony Wroten.
He spent most of high school at Rainier Beach High School, with one season (2000-01) at James Logan High School in Union City, California, before returning for his senior year. At Rainier Beach he starred in basketball, football and track. As a senior in 2001-02 he led the basketball team to a 28-1 record and the AAA state championship, averaging 17.9 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and he was named the AAA state player of the year. Rainier Beach retired his No. 2 jersey in September 2010.
Two sports at the University of Washington
Robinson originally enrolled at Washington on a football scholarship. In the 2002 season he played all 13 games as a cornerback, started the final six (including the Sun Bowl), and recorded two interceptions and 34 tackles. He then moved to basketball full time.
On the court he was named to the All-Pac-10 Freshman Team in 2002-03, made the All-Pac-10 first team as a sophomore, and as a junior earned third-team All-America honors from the NABC while leading the Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. In April 2005 he declared for the NBA draft, skipping his final year of eligibility.
NBA career, team by team
The Phoenix Suns picked Robinson 21st overall in the 2005 draft and traded him to the New York Knicks that same night, along with Quentin Richardson, for Kurt Thomas and the rights to Dijon Thompson. He never played a game for Phoenix.
New York Knicks (2005-2010)
New York is where Robinson became a fan favorite. He scored a career-high 45 points against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 8, 2008, and had his best season in 2008-09, averaging 17.2 points and 4.1 assists. His time in New York also had rough patches, including a 10-game suspension after the December 2006 Knicks-Nuggets brawl and a stretch on the bench under coach Mike D’Antoni in late 2009. He answered that benching by scoring 41 points off the bench against the Atlanta Hawks on January 1, 2010.
Boston, Oklahoma City and Golden State (2010-2012)
In February 2010 the Knicks traded him to the Boston Celtics, where he backed up Rajon Rondo and played useful minutes during the run to the 2010 NBA Finals, which Boston lost to the Lakers in seven games. A year later he was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Kendrick Perkins trade, then signed with the Golden State Warriors in January 2012, averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 assists in 51 games that season. If you follow the Warriors’ later backcourt, our profile of Jordan Poole covers one of the team’s more recent guards.
Chicago Bulls (2012-2013)
Many fans consider the 2012-13 Bulls season Robinson’s peak. With Derrick Rose injured, he started 23 games and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in early February. In Game 4 of the first round against the Brooklyn Nets, he scored 23 points in the fourth quarter (34 total) to help erase a 14-point deficit late in regulation in a triple-overtime win. He followed with 27 points and nine assists in Game 1 against the defending champion Miami Heat, a performance that put him alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Derrick Rose as the only Bulls with 25 points and nine assists in a playoff game.
Denver, the Clippers and New Orleans (2013-2015)
Robinson signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Nuggets in July 2013 and wore No. 10 there. He was traded back to Boston in January 2015 and waived before playing for the Celtics again, then signed two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers. His final NBA stop was the New Orleans Pelicans, who waived him in October 2015 after two regular-season games.
Three Slam Dunk Contest titles
Robinson’s dunk contest record is what keeps his name alive with younger fans:
- 2006: Beat Andre Iguodala 141-140 in an overtime round, with a perfect 50 for a dunk over 1986 champion Spud Webb.
- 2007: Finished second to Gerald Green.
- 2009: Wore an all-green “KryptoNATE” outfit and jumped over 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard, winning with 52 percent of the fan vote.
- 2010: Won again to become the first three-time champion in contest history.
Doing this at 5-foot-9 is the point. He is one of the shortest players to win the event, joining a tradition that includes Spud Webb, the man he jumped over in 2006. For a look at the other end of the height spectrum, see our piece on 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley.
After the NBA: overseas, football, film and boxing
Robinson kept playing well into his 30s. He joined Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel in March 2016 and scored 46 points in a playoff game that May. In 2017 he briefly played for the Delaware 87ers in the NBA Development League, then signed with Guaros de Lara in Venezuela and won the league championship, earning Finals MVP. He also played in the BIG3 three-on-three league.
Off the court, his projects include:
- Book: His memoir, Heart over Height, came out in 2014.
- Restaurant: He opened a chicken and waffles restaurant in Rainier Beach, his home neighborhood, in 2014.
- Football comeback attempt: In 2016, at age 32, he pursued an NFL opportunity with his hometown Seattle Seahawks.
- Film: He played Boots in the 2018 basketball comedy Uncle Drew.
- Boxing: On November 28, 2020, he fought YouTuber Jake Paul on the undercard of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. exhibition and lost by second-round knockout.
Why his story still resonates
Robinson was rarely a full-time starter, yet he lasted 11 NBA seasons, played in back-to-back conference finals with Boston and Oklahoma City, and produced some of the most memorable playoff minutes in recent Bulls history. He did it as one of the shortest players in the league, which is why his book title, Heart over Height, sums up his reputation so neatly. For fans checking his age, the more useful context is how much he packed into those years: a college football starter at 18, an NBA draftee at 21, a record-setting dunk champion at 25 and a playoff hero at 28.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Nate Robinson in 2026?
Nate Robinson was born on May 31, 1984, so he is 42 years old in 2026.
How tall is Nate Robinson?
He is listed at 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), which made him one of the shortest players in the NBA during his career.
How many Slam Dunk Contests did Nate Robinson win?
Three: 2006, 2009 and 2010. In 2010 he became the first player to win the contest three times.
Which NBA teams did Nate Robinson play for?
He played for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans.
Did Nate Robinson play college football?
Yes. He played cornerback for the Washington Huskies in 2002, starting the last six games, before focusing on basketball.
