Former NBA Slam Dunk Champ Nate Robinson To Pursue NFL Career, Are There Any Teams Interested?

Diminutive NBA veteran Nate Robinson has decided to go from the hardwood to the Gridiron according to Sports Illustrated. The 5-foot-9 point guard announced his decision via YouTube.

Robinson has played 11 seasons in the NBA, which includes a short stint with the New Orleans Pelicans this year. The 31-year-old was signed on Oct. 16 by New Orleans as point guards Norris Cole and Jrue Holiday were dealing with injuries. Robinson spent just 13 days with the club before he was released on Oct. 29. He did make two regular season appearances for the club, including one start, compiling four assists and one steal in 23 minutes of action. Robinson averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 assists in four preseason games this year.

“You ask people around here they’ll know, Nate Robinson, his best sport is football, Robinson says in the video. “People tell me all the time, if anybody can do it, go play football, it’s you.”

The video rehashes his accomplishments and features testimonials from NFL players Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo and former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former University of Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

It will be interesting to see if Robinson, who has not played organized football since his freshman year in college, can successfully switch careers. Will any NFL team give him an opportunity? He is definitely athletic and has a football frame but is on the wrong side of 30. Robinson would likely be best suited as a cornerback, slot wide receiver or return specialist.

Robinson went to Washington on a football scholarship in 2002, to play for Neuheisel, while also walking onto the basketball team. He appeared in all 13 games for the Huskies as a true freshman, which included six starts at cornerback, recording two interceptions and 34 tackles.

Following the football season, Robinson hit the hardwood and was named to the All-Pac-10 Freshmen team in 2002-03 according to the Seattle Times. That spring, Robinson decided to forgo football and concentrate on basketball; he played two more seasons at UW before declaring for the NBA draft.

The 5-foot-9, 180-pounder was selected in the first round with the 21st pick in 2005 by the Phoenix Suns. He never suited up for Suns as he was traded to the New York Knicks on draft night. He has also played for the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Robinson, a three-time slam dunk champion, has appeared in 618 career NBA games. He holds career averages of 11 points and 3 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc. However, he probably best known for winning the dunk contest in 2006 before following up with back-to-back victories in the event in 2009 and 2010 — thus becoming the only three-time dunk champion, Robinson was in the event five times.

Robinson wasn’t only a fan favorite at the dunk contest because of his size, he also had flare. In 2006, Robinson jumped over 1986 dunk champion Spud Webb.

In 2009, Robinson jumped over 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard in the final round. Then, for his swansong dunk, he threw down a two-handed reverse after scooping it off the backboard to win the competition in 2010.

While NFL’ers — Tony Gonzalez, Donovan McNabb and Antonio Gates, etc. — have played college basketball, Robinson would only be the second person ever to play in the NFL and NBA. NFL Hall-of-Fame coach Bud Grant was selected in both the NFL and NBA drafts following his departure from the University of Minnesota. Grant played two years for the Minneapolis Lakers and after giving up his basketball career he played two years for the Philadelphia Eagles.

[Photo by Ben Margot/Associated Press]