Imago
March 13, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) reacts from the bench after a score against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-89. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Imago
March 13, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Nate Robinson (2) reacts from the bench after a score against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-89. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Two decades ago, Nate Robinson won his first Slam Dunk contest. He would later go on to win two more (back-to-back, 2009-10) and become the first player in NBA history to win three slam dunk contests. The 11-year-veteran was on the panel of former winners, including Brent Barry (1996), Dwight Howard (2008), and Dominique Wilkins (1985-1990).
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But the NBA earlier announced that the former Bulls star won’t be among the judges for the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk.
Why did Nate Robinson withdraw from the dunk contest?
The NBA did not reveal the reason for the absence. But Nate Robinson had a kidney transplant last year, and now he is successfully working on his recovery. Before his absence, the 3x Slam Dunk champion was positively promoting his presence at the All-Star event. In fact, the 41-year-old also did a podcast with Two Truths Podcast and was hyping his return.
But the fans know that Nate Robinson battled a life threating battle last year. Diagnosed with kidney disease all the way back in 2006, the former NBA star quietly battled the condition for years. Things took a sharp turn for the worse in his 30s, and when COVID hit, it was nearly fatal. In 2022, Nate Robinson revealed his battle with kidney disease. Since then, he remained hopeful, waiting for a donor to step forward.
At one point, Robinson himself admitted that he “doesn’t have long to live” without a donor. But the miracle donor, Shane Cleveland from Bremerton, Washington, stepped up, and thus Nate received a life-saving kidney transplant. One of his goals was to be visible to the fans. “I want to get back doing my TV thing where I let the fans get a glimpse of my next 10 to 20 years of life, see how things are going. That’ll be pretty cool,” he added.
That’s why the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk was the right place, as it was the Dunk contest that made him a bigger star. Just recently, Nate Robinson explained his motive for giving his all during the All-Star weekend.
“I had a lot of energy, man, and I wanted to be there,” Robinson said about the dunk contest. “And I wanted to showcase the gift that God gave me, the ability to jump. I want to show that, especially being a little guy like myself. I wanted to let them know, ‘I’m here. This is me. This is who I am. I want you guys to see me.'”
The undersized 5-foot-9 Robinson impressed NBA fans in the late 2000s with his athleticism and ability to jump. So his presence today was missed.
Who replaced Nate Robinson in the contest?
Instead, he is replaced by Corey Maggette, who was already present at the All-Star weekend. He was part of the revamped Shooting Stars competition on Team Cameron, alongside fellow Duke alumni Kon Knueppel and Jalen Johnson. Maggette, who had played 14 seasons in the NBA between 1999 and 2013, even made three half-court shots during the shooting competition.
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Maggette was the #13 overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics but was traded on draft night to the Orlando Magic, where he began his career. But his most cherished time came during his eight-year tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers (2000–2008). There, Maggette became a perennial double-digit, 15+ point scorer, so his return in LA tonight was a throwback for the Clippers nation.