For Seattleites of a certain vintage, there’s never been a local athlete quite like Nate Robinson.
State champ at Rainier Beach, two-sport stud at UW, biggest little dude in the Big Apple, dunk-contest winner — Robinson had more charisma in his left shoe than most people have in their entire body, and he recently took a few minutes to answer some questions put to him by Sports Handle‘s Pacific Northwest Bureau.
Q: You got your start as a Knick and enjoyed some of your best seasons there. If they were fully healthy, would you have considered them a live long shot to win the East? Even without Julius Randle, do you still give them much of a chance of making the Finals?'
A: I don’t know about winning out the East, because the East is tough. That’s hard to say, but do they have a chance to win a playoff series? Yes. I think they can get out of the first round depending on who they draw. If they get somebody they’ve played before and they’re familiar with their game in the East, they have a chance.
But I don’t like their chances if they get Miami first. That’s tough for them. I don’t want that. But if they get somebody less, not so much of a team that’s playing like how Miami played, then they have a chance.
Q: As a kid who grew up and went to college in Seattle, what was it like to play for Oklahoma City just a few years after the Sonics left Seattle for there? And how do you feel about the Thunder’s odds to win it all this year?
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A: Oh man, that stuff, I won’t say it sucked. It was tough. It was tough because it would have been great to be able to be at home playing for OKC, because I probably wouldn’t have never wanted to leave that team, that squad. But when they was in Oklahoma and I wasn’t playing, I didn’t want to be there.
They’re a team you have to watch out for. They’re scary. Nobody wants to see them first round in the West.
Q: Do you recall much talk of sports betting, either from fans in the stands or from your peers in the locker room, back when you played?'
A: No, that wasn’t a thing. The only time they talked about that stuff, over/under, when it was like baseball-type stuff or football, like somebody said, “Oh my God, it’s kick a field goal, I needed the two points or whatever.” They talked about it, but it wasn’t like how it is now. It was never about basketball. It was always about football or college. It was never the NBA or anything. It was always other sports that people talked about it, but it wasn’t like a big thing.
But now it’s cute. That’s all I see in people who tweet and post to all the people, “Oh my God, man, can you do this because my parlay and my parlay and my parlay.” That’s all I’m seeing. Like, we don’t care about your parlay. We want to win the game. Forget your parlay. Nobody asks you to go out there and bet however much you’re betting. That’s your fault. You know what I’m saying?
Q: Do you think it’s better that betting on sports is legal and out in the open now, or do things need to be done to rein things in a bit?
A: They better figure it out, because what guys are going to start doing, OK, “Fan, if you’re really about that, you’re putting your money up, you want me to hit this parlay? OK, if I hit this parlay for you, what you going to do for me? You going to give me 10% of that? Whatever you hit, 10%.” You know what I’m saying?
The fans are going to start collaborating with the players. If we’re going to get money, let’s get money together then. So, I don’t know. They’re going to have to put something, just like the NIL, you’re going to have to put a cap on it or something. They’re going to have to figure it out.
Q: Now that you’re retired from the NBA, do you bet much on sports and, if so, which ones?
A: Nah, I try not to because I’m trying to save this. I don’t want to be sitting here losing my hair because I’m stressing out.