Few players can claim that they’d score on Michael Jordan and beat Stephen Curry in a one-on-one game standing at 5-feet-9. Former NBA star Nate Robinson did exactly that to show how competitive he is. During his appearance on the Got Sole podcast, Robinson went through a list of players and gave his take on whether he could take them on.
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Starting off with his idol, MJ, Robinson said that beating Jordan in a one-on-one matchup would be near impossible. However, he feels confident enough to get a few buckets on the Bulls legend since he has the same competitive drive as his hero.
Robinson said, “I’ll give him a run for his money, for sure. I’ll score on MJ. Back in my prime and his, I’ll definitely get a bucket or two. I’m not gonna say I’ll beat him because that’d be wrong.”
But Jordan isn’t the only player that the 40-year-old thinks that he can’t beat in a one-on-one. Despite being confident of his abilities, Robinson showed real honesty on the pod.
He said that he couldn’t beat the late, great Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allen Iverson in a one-on-one game. However, Robinson believes that in his prime, he could easily edge out Stephen Curry, “Yeah, I could beat Steph Curry one on one in my prime.”
After going through such an elite list, when he was asked about Jayson Tatum, Robinson needed some further clarification. He said, “If we’re playing unlimited dribbles, I’ll say no. If we’re playing three dribbles, I can say yes. I can almost beat anybody with three dribbles.”
These claims sound more realistic when we look at Robinson’s athletic prowess.
Nate Robinson was one of the quickest players on the floor
After representing the Washington Huskies men’s basketball for three years, Robinson appeared in the 2005 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns as their 21st pick and then immediately traded to the New York Knicks where he made his debut. Robinson played for the Knicks until 2010.
He was a 5’9 point guard who could give anyone a run for their money. Other than being extremely quick, he had a 43.5-inch vertical. His vertical is comparable to the likes of LeBron James and Vince Carter, who had 44 and 43-inch verticals respectively.
The three-time Slam Dunk champion played his career-best season for the Knicks in 2008-09. In 74 games, he averaged 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He shot over 43% from the field and 32.5% from the three-point line throughout the season. Robinson left the league in 2015 after playing for the New Orleans Pelicans.
