Former Knicks fan favorite who needs a kidney isn’t ready to die

For years, former Knicks guard Nate Robinson gave NBA fans a reason to smile. Now the once-energetic 5-foot-9 slam dunk aficionado fears for his life.

In April, Robinson revealed that as of October 2022, he is undergoing treatment for kidney failure. “I know I don’t have long if I don’t manage to get a kidney,” he told the Daily Mail.

Although Robinson, 40, continues to fight for his life, his fears now extend beyond himself. Those terrors have turned into nightmares because someone will have to risk their well-being to give them a chance at life, Robinson said in an interview with Mens Health published this week.

“It’s scary. Because we both have to go under the knife, and a lot of people don’t make it,” Robinson said, via Mens Health. “I would hate for someone to give me this kidney and die because of that. It would hurt me so much if someone had to die for me to live.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for this. In my dreams, my family members gave me a kidney and they all ended up passing away. That kind of (expletive) with me.

But his will to live remains strong. He wants to be able to tell his grandchildren stories about his time in the NBA.

Robinson played 10 NBA seasons and 618 career games, including 312 with the Knicks. He played an average of 22 1/2 minutes per game while averaging 11 points, three assists and 2.3 rebounds.

The Washington product has won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest three times during his career. One of his most memorable dunks saw him fly over 6-foot-10 center Dwight Howard.

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Manny Gómez can be contacted at [email protected].