Nathanial Cornelius Robinson was born May 31, 1984 in Seattle, Washington.  He is a professional basketball player in the NBA. He was the 21st overall selection of the 2005 NBA Draft pick, chosen by the Phenoix Suns before being traded to the New York Knicks with Quention Richardson for Kurt Thomas and the draft rights to second-round pick (54th overall) Dijon Thompson. Robinson played college basketball at the University of Washington.

Listed at 5'9, but who is actually measured at 5'7, Robinson is one of the smallest players in the NBA, with only a few players his height or shorter. However, despite his size, Robinson is known as an explosive dunker. On February 18, 2006, Nate Robinson won the 2006 Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk Contest, edging Andre Iguodala in an unprecedented "Dunk Off". Many feel that Iguodala should have won the contest, being that it took Robinson 14 attempts to make his final dunk and  most memorable dunk of the night, in which he jumped over the 1986 slam dunk champion, Spud Webb, which also coincidentally celebrated the 20th anniversary that Webb won the contest.

Robinson also had a successful collegiate career in which he led his number-one-seeded Washington Huskies to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2005 NCAA basketball tournament during his junior season.

Robinson also played football at Washington, and was a highly touted return man and cornerback.