Nate Robinson wants to master every sport before he dies, boxing Jake Paul first

On the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr., former NBA basketball player Nate Robinson makes his boxing debut against YouTuber Jake Paul. 

The Nov. 28 event featuring all-time boxing greats Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. has a little bit of everything. It offers fans nostalgia, legitimate boxing, and some interesting sideshow events. It’s not clear where former NBA player Nate Robinson vs. Youtuber Jake Paul fits in, but a sideshow would be the initial selection.

However, Robinson is adamant that his cruiserweight contest against Paul is the real thing.

Robinson vs. Paul is sanctioned as a professional boxing match even though neither is known for their boxing. Paul is social media famous, and Robinson is an 11-year NBA veteran. It’s a stretch to count Paul as a professional athlete despite his one official win in the ring against fellow Youtuber Ali Eson Gib. Robinson, on the other hand, is a proven athlete.

In high school and college, Robinson was a standout on the basketball court and the football field. He earned a college scholarship to play football at the University of Washington. Robinson was a starter at defensive back for the football team, but he focused on college basketball from his sophomore year.

After more than a decade in the NBA, Robinson’s decision to give basketball his full-time attention proved to be wise. At 36 years old, Robinson’s new adventure is in the boxing ring.

“For the most part, I used to box just hitting the mitts with my trainer just to stay in shape for basketball,” Robinson told FanSided. “To get the opportunity to really get into the ring, I was like, alright, I’ll take the opportunity. I just want to show people and kids that with hard work and dedication, you can do anything.”

How does a former NBA player end up fighting a Youtuber in a professional boxing bout? Well, all Robinson had to do was call out Paul on social media.

Nate Robinson wants to handle Jake Paul in the boxing ring, then try his luck at baseball, tennis, and/or golf

“He just kept saying that he could knock out or beat any athlete, any Youtuber, anybody,” said Robinson. “So I was like, I’ll fight you. What’s up? He took the challenge.

“He [Paul] talks a lot of s**t,” continued Robinson. “I thought people hated me. People hate him more than they hate me. It’s crazy. Being on different NBA teams, some people are like, you used to kill my NBA team, so I hate you. So many people despise this guy. He talks s**t. He’s not humble.”

Boxing purists are shaking their heads at Robinson vs. Paul’s wild experiment, but Robinson insists that he’s taking this fight seriously. He told ESPN about his training with boxing trainer Francisco Reyes out of the Tenochtitlan Boxing Club. Robinson feels like he’s making big strides as a boxer.

“I went in as an empty canvas,” said Robinson. “My coach has been helping me paint the picture that I want to see. That’s my game. I’m going to show Nov. 28, I have time to showcase what I can do. That ring is going to be my paintbrush.”

Robinson still has basketball aspirations after his fight with Paul, but he wants to expand his athletic profile in other sports. Even though he’s past his mid-30s, Robinson believes he can make it as a professional in other sports.

“After boxing, hopefully, I can crossover to try and do baseball,” said Robinson. “I just want to show people I can be a professional athlete. I can do every sport. If there’s an opportunity that comes around with me being able to go play some baseball, showcase what I can do on the baseball field, and go to soccer, soccer to football, it doesn’t matter. I want to showcase what I can do. I want to play tennis. I want to golf. I want to try and master every sport before I die.”

It’s unlikely, if not almost impossible that Robinson can go pro in every sport he tries, but try to tell him that. He thinks his athleticism has no bounds. Those are lofty dreams, but Robinson has to defeat Paul first if he stands a chance of living up to his sporting ideals.

“I’ve been playing with a chip on my shoulder for so long and so many years,” said Robinson in closing. “I’ve got to earn my respect, and I’ve got to earn it again.”

Nate Robinson vs. Jake Paul can be seen on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 9 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. You can purchase the fight on the FITE TV app or at TysonOnTriller.com.