ESPN

Former Celtics reserve guard Nate Robinson told SLAM magazine he's interested in playing in the NFL if the NBA lockout lingers:

“I might go play football,” Robinson told SLAM on the phone. “Do something that nobody’s tried to do.”

More than a publicity stunt—see: Chad Ochocinco and soccer—there’s no doubting the 27-year-old’s pigskin pedigree.

The son of a college football player, Robinson initially attended the University of Washington on a football scholarship. The 5-9 Seattle native blossomed into a first round NBA Draft pick, but not before playing one stellar collegiate season at cornerback for the Huskies.

“If I can, I would love to play football a little bit,” says Robinson less than half-jokingly. “I’ve been doing a little bit of training.”

Let's remember that Glen Davis also said he wanted to go play in the NFL after becoming an NBA All-Star, then quickly backtracked. The day of Celtics players (or in Robinson's case, former Celtics players) as legitimate two-sport athletes likely ended with Danny Ainge.

But, hey, it's a lockout and anything players say is going to attract interest. If nothing else, it gave us a reason to bust out a training camp video of Robinson and Rajon Rondo playing catch in a gym down at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I.

Nate Robinson, dealt away from the Boston Celtics at February's trade deadline, got into a wee bit of trouble in the wee hours Friday morning:

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Oklahoma City Thunder guard Nate Robinson is apologizing to fans after police caught him urinating in public in a New York City suburb.

White Plains police say an officer spotted Robinson urinating on a sidewalk outside a bookstore just before 2 a.m. ET Friday.

Authorities told reporters that Robinson was taken to police headquarters, issued a summons and ordered to show up in court June 22. The offense normally carries a $50 fine.

Obviously, not a lot of news here, but Robinson lands in the headlines as a public figure. It reinforces how these guys are constantly under the microscope. But after a lackluster stint in Boston in which he drew more headlines for off-the-court shenanigans (like his training camp comedy with Shaquille O'Neal) than on the court, where he failed to provide a consistent bench spark, this Robinson news is likely to simply leave Celtics fans shaking their heads.

The 2010-11 Celtics season was a terrific example of just how quickly things can change in the NBA. In the blink of an eye at the February trade deadline, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge orchestrated a slew of deals that altered an entire third of Boston's roster. You need not be reminded of the mixed results that came with the additions of Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic & Co., so here's a look back at five players who began the season as Celtics, but finished the campaign with other clubs:

Marquis Daniels: Daniels returned to the Celtics this past season intent on filling the role he was unable to during the 2009-10 campaign, largely due to torn ligaments in his left thumb that resulted in a 28-game absence. The results were much better the second time around, as Daniels, finally healthy for the first three months of the season, filled in behind Paul Pierce exactly the way the Celtics were hoping he'd be able to. Gliding around the court, Daniels was an accomplished scorer at times but also housed the ability to defend, rebound and feed his teammates the ball for quality looks. It was all going well until Feb. 6, when Daniels' collision with Gilbert Arenas left him with a bruised spinal cord, sadly altering his career as well as the Celtics' season. It was one of the scariest and most unfortunate injuries in recent Celtics history, and in a move that showed just how unforgiving the business side of the NBA can be, the Celtics shipped Daniels to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for a conditional 2017 second-round draft pick to clear a roster spot.

(Read full post)

Over the next few weeks, we'll take a player-by-player look at the Celtics' 2010-11 roster and how each player's season unfolded, assigning a grade for their overall performance. This is the 12th in the series of report cards:

Season in a paragraph: For the first 50 games of the 2010-11 season, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed unconditional love for the roster Boston had carried out of training camp. Then Daniels suffered the scary spine injury against the Orlando Magic, leaving the team dangerously thin at the wing position, and, coupled with inconsistent bench play, led to a massive overhaul of the reserve unit. You know the story from there, Perkins and Robinson were shipped to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, and a future first-round pick; Daniels got flipped to Sacramento, while Erden and Harangody went to Cleveland, both of those moves aimed at freeing up roster space that would later be used to ink Troy Murphy and Sasha Pavlovic (see their grades here). Johnson, a D-League center with plenty of upside, got signed to a 10-day deal at the deadline with Boston short on bodies, but couldn't get an extended stay when the team decided to ink Carlos Arroyo for backup point guard depth.

Season highlight: Robinson made 11 starts during the 2010-11 season and averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds over 33.2 minutes per game. He simply couldn't replicate that production as a reserve... Perkins made a stunning early return from offseason ACL surgery and chipped in 7 points and 6 rebounds over 17:10 in his late January debut against Cleveland. By his sixth game, he was playing nearly 33 minutes, chipping in 13 points and 12 rebounds in a loss to Dallas... So much was made about Daniels' health entering the 2010-11 season, but he appeared in 49 of the first 50 games, missing just one contest due to a family issue. Two days before the freak spine injury, he chipped in 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting over just 13 minutes against Dallas... Rookie Erden logged seven starts and produced a 6-1 record during that span, playing through the pain of shoulder and groin injuries to provide Boston a center presence when its more veteran big men were unable to stay on the floor... Harangody exploded for 17 points and 11 rebounds over 27 minutes in January win over Toronto (he would score just 24 more points in a Boston uniform before being dealt)... Johnson played 17 minutes the same day he was signed by Boston, chipping in 6 points and a rebound in a loss to Denver the night of the trade deadline.

Season lowlight: The lives of all six players ultimately changed during the frightening sequence when Daniels got snagged on the shoulder of Orlando's Gilbert Arenas and collapsed to the Garden floor in early February. Daniels got stretchered off the court and, once his spine condition came to light, it was clear his season was over, forcing Ainge's hand to make the deals that shook up the roster.

Final grade: It's impossible to assign a single letter grade for all six players, but it's fair to say this group contributed far more than those they were replaced by. Erden and Daniels earned a B on our midseason report card (and those marks probably would have stayed the same), while Harangody (C) and Robinson (C-) didn't grade out quite as well (likewise, those seem like fair marks overall). Perkins deserves a strong mark for simply getting himself back on the court so quickly and being an instant contributor.

Teacher's notes: It's unfortunate that we don't have some sort of alternate universe simulator, where we could find out how the Celtics might have fared with their original roster intact. Even if Daniels' injury never occurred, the Celtics were going to have to think about trading Perkins at the deadline because of his looming free-agent status, but it's hard to imagine the Celtics being so eager to pull off a move if it wasn't for the lack of depth at the wing. If Jeff Green pans out the way Boston brass envision, the Erden/Harangody deal might ultimately be the toughest one to swallow given the promise that Erden showed and the way he battled through so many injuries just to keep this team afloat early on (especially after Troy Murphy and Co. gave this team nothing down the stretch).

What's next?: Perkins is locked up long term in Oklahoma City, the Thunder offering the kind of contract that Boston couldn't this offseason. Erden, Harangody, and Robinson each have another year on their deals, while Daniels will be unrestricted free agent if he's able to resume his basketball career. It's hard to imagine anyone beyond Johnson -- a young player the Celtics really, really liked -- breezing back through the Hub any time soon.

Honor roll: Click HERE to read past report cards.

Don't agree with teacher? Just want to sound off on the departed's 2010-11 season? Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

DENVER -- In a trade deadline shocker, the Boston Celtics traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic, sources confirmed to ESPN.com.

Click HERE to read the full story, including other moves Boston made at the deadline buzzer.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics practiced Saturday afternoon at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint:

The Rundown: Robinson hoping to go vs. Miami | No MJ in Doc | Loose Balls



Celtics guard Nate Robinson (bruised right knee) participated in only the walkthrough portions of Saturday's session, but said he is hopeful he can suit up for Sunday's visit from the Miami Heat. Boston could sure use him.

The Celtics limped through another injury-plagued practice with 10 available bodies. Shaquille O'Neal (inflamed Achilles), Semih Erden (right adductor strain), Jermaine O'Neal (left knee surgery), and Marquis Daniels (bruised spine) were not part of the on-court action. Reserve guard Delonte West, champing at the bit for a return from a fractured right wrist that has shelved him since late November, did engage in his second full-contact practice of the week, but Rivers indicated the Celtics would prefer to get him two more practice sessions early next week before hopefully squeezing him back into game action in Wednesday's pre-All-Star finale against, ironically, a New Jersey Nets team he injured himself against.

After banging knees with Shannon Brown, Robinson committed an intentional foul Thursday and hopped off the court early in the second quarter in the loss to the Lakers, leaving Boston with nine available bodies.

"Oh no, when I shot, I got too close and when I landed, [Shannon Brown] landed at the same time and it was like a perfect [collision], like we hit knees perfectly," said Robinson. "I watched it over and over. [Team trainer Ed Lacerte] said it was like a perfect hit."

Robinson said he hadn't undergone an MRI on the knee and will instead wear a brace that might allow him to get through the game.

"I didn't do the MRI yet; I'm just getting treatment right now," said Robinson. "It's cool. [We're going to go with] a knee brace. I'll be straight."

Robinson kept his sense of humor about the situation, noting he actually played with a bigger brace while with the Knicks during the early stages of his career. "I think once in New York, I had a messed up knee for a couple of weeks. I wore a big ol' knee brace then, like [Kendrick Perkins after offseason ACL surgery]. I had one of those and, for a guard, that's ugly, so I couldn't be seen with that thing for too long. That was nasty."

Robinson said he'll stick around all night for treatment if that's what it takes. He's already done it once on Friday, noting he left the facility around 11 p.m. on the team's offday. "I hope [I can play]," said Robinson. "I'm just going to go in here and get treatment. I ain't going to leave here all night, like last night."

The new is less encouraging on Shaq and Erden. Rivers said neither has responded well to treatment and their returns could be pushed back even beyond the All-Star break.

"Semih's groin is not improving; Shaq's Achilles is not improving at all," said Rivers. "Obviously, we thought we'd have both back by [Thursday's game against the Lakers]. But that's fine, they're good."

Pressed on Shaq's injury, Rivers said only: "It just hasn't healed. It's no worse, it just hasn't healed as quickly."

Robinson maintained his optimistic approach, not ready to lean on the injury crutch.

"We've just got to find a way to win, regardless of who goes down," said Robinson. "That's why it's called a team. You have other guys, not just one guy. Guys play through injuries, you've just got to, you know, keep fighting through it and we'll be alright."

Reminded it's been something new each day, he just shook his head and added: "Every day's a mystery."

(Read full post)

Celtics reserve guard Nate Robinson departed Thursday's game with a bruised right knee suffered in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Robinson committed an intentional foul on Kobe Bryant with 8:21 remaining in the second frame, then hopped directly to the locker room with team trainer Ed Lacerte in pursuit. The Celtics said he would be evaluated at halftime and, at the start of the third quarter, he was deemed out for the night.

Robinson is expected to have an MRI on Friday.

Robinson's injury left the Celtics with nine available players and thinned an already depleted bench. Couple with foul trouble for the night's 3-point hero, Ray Allen, the Celtics leaned heavy on Von Wafer as a key backup guard.

At this point, Nate Robinson serves as the ultimate test of patience for Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

Rivers watched as Robinson shot a mere 2 of 11 (0 of 7 on 3-pointers) in the Celtics' first two games of their just-concluded four-game Western Conference road swing, before seriously considering benching him Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the end, he elected to give Robinson a go, and his patience was rewarded, as the reserve guard broke out of his self-admitted shooting slump and rattled off 11 key points on 4-of-7 shooting in Boston's 109-96 victory.

Given Robinson's positive turnaround, it only made sense for Rivers to stick with him Tuesday night in the finale of the road trip against the Sacramento Kings. Yet leave it to Robinson to compartmentalize the woes and wonders of an entire trip into a single game. In the first half of the Celtics' eventual 95-90 victory over the Kings, Robinson very much resembled the helter-skelter guard who came up mostly empty against the Portland Trailblazers and the Phoenix Suns in back-to-back games last week.

Post-halftime Robinson, though, was very much like the one that took the Staples Center floor in Los Angeles on Sunday -- full of energy, and, at times, a critical game-changer.

(Read full post)

LOS ANGELES -- A collection of news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-96 Sunday afternoon at the Staples Center:



Given Nate Robinson's recent struggles, Celtics coach Doc Rivers gave serious consideration to benching the reserve guard for Sunday's game. He's glad he listened to his gut instead.

Robinson said he was unaware of any sort of short leash Rivers had with him, but responded by scoring 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with a trio of trifectas over 13:47.

Over his previous eight games, Robinson had connected on a mere 16-of-54 shots (29.6 percent) and the start of Boston's four-game road trip hadn't been very friendly to him. Robinson was a combined 2-of-11 shooting, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.

"Honestly, I was going back and forth on whether to play [Robinson] at all," said Rivers. "But he was huge for us."

After the Lakers rallied within two late in the third quarter, Robinson produced a key 3-pointer, then added another early in the fourth frame as the Celtics built a nine-point lead. Robinson made both triples right in front of the Los Angeles bench and the Lakers didn't seem amused by his now-trademark wing flap after he made the big shots.

But that's exactly what Rivers needed to see from Robinson to maintain confidence to keep him on the floor, especially at a time when players like Von Wafer have exhibited more energy during their shifts than Robinson.

For his part, Robinson acknowledged that he'd been in a slump recently, but said he never lost faith in himself and spent extra time getting up extra shots and examining game film, studying both his own form and that of teammate Ray Allen while trying to regain his shooting touch.

"I had a little slump, you could say, off and on, but one thing about me is I never give up," said Robinson.

As a member of the New York Knicks last season, Robinson endured a 14-game DNP streak and dubbed it the most frustrating experience of his career. He got flipped to Boston at the trade deadline and endured his own roller coaster here, but saved some of his most inspired ball for the Finals against the Lakers.

His effort Sunday against Los Angeles might have helped save him from a return to Rivers' doghouse.

(Read full post)

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge hinted during his weekly call-in to Boston sports radio station WEEI (850 AM) that guard Nate Robinson isn't 100 percent right now, likely still dealing with some pain in his left foot that nagged at him early last month.

But Robinson doesn't have time to rest. Quite the opposite, the Celtics have leaned heavy on him in place of injured point guard Rajon Rondo (sprained left ankle) and while Robinson's production has cooled from his initial red-hot injection into the starting lineup, he's doing his best to fill Rondo's large shoes.

On Friday, that meant guarding New Orleans star guard Chris Paul, which might have left Robinson more gassed than normal.

“Well, he’s playing a lot of minutes," Celtics coach Doc River said when asked about Robinson's health. "And he’s guarding Chris Paul. And Chris Paul has the ball in his hands for 20 seconds per possession. That’s exhausting. So I would say it’s more of that.”

Paul finished with 20 points, 11 assists, six steals, and five rebounds over 40 minutes.

Offensively, Robinson turned in one of Boston's better starting performances Friday. He connected on 5-of-10 shots for 11 points, while adding six rebounds, three assists and two steals over 38 minutes. Robinson got lifted in favor of Marquis Daniels midway through the third quarter, but returned to play the entire fourth frame, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds during the final frame.

Rondo admitted he's coaching Robinson during games, giving him tips on what to look for, particularly coming out of timeouts. But for a player better suited as the off guard, Robinson is still learning how to operate as offensive quarterback.

"It's a lot to ask of him," admitted Rondo. "But he's trying to do the best he can."

Celtics captain Paul Pierce, his teammates, and local celebrities teamed to raise money for children’s health at his annual bowling tournament, "The Truth Strikes Again," earlier this month at Foxwoods. The event, which took place at High Rollers Luxury Lanes and Lounge, raised more than $300,000 for The Truth Fund, an initiative aimed at providing educational and life-enriching opportunities for underprivileged youth. (Video courtesy of Truth on Health)

Before the team departed for Orlando, reserve guard Nate Robinson visited Modell's Sporting Goods in Saugus for a Pop-a-Shot contest against fans. Check out Robinson in action below...

Celtics guard Nate Robinson accepted blame for his team's Christmas Day defeat in Orlando, apologizing on Twitter after a poor shooting performance in an 86-78 loss.

Robinson finished 2-of-15 shooting (1 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc) for seven points over a team-high 43 minutes. The 15 field goal attempts were a game high (matching the number of shots put up by Orlando's Brandon Bass, who scored a team-high 21 points), but Robinson did add six rebounds and four assists, while turning the ball over just once.

Robinson posted to Twitter: "I take full responsibility for this game I could not throw a rock [in] the ocean... gotta make some shots for my team sorry guys."

Our thoughts? Robinson had a lot of quality looks, shots simply didn't fall. We've noted in this space our desire to see Robinson take more shots with the second unit and -- given his success with the first team -- it's hard to complain about him putting up that many attempts. Every player has these type of days, Robinson's simply came on a big stage. He was 1-for-11 from beyond 16 feet and his only bucket inside the arc came on a drive to the rim.

The Celtics shot a mere 34.6 percent and Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, and Ray Allen combined to miss 26 shots. It happens.

Kudos to Robinson for accepting the blame. The Celtics clearly missed Rondo's play-making abilities in this game, but this loss did not fall on one player.

When Nate Robinson is given film cuts from the Boston Celtics' win Sunday over the Indiana Pacers, coaches should provide a single eight-second clip playing on an endless loop: A fourth-quarter hustle play that not only produced a key late-game basket but embodied everything the Celtics want out of Robinson.

With Boston clinging to a six-point lead with less than five minutes to play, an offensive series broke down and -- with all five Celtics essentially standing around -- Kevin Garnett fired a 19-footer that rattled out of the rim. Boston doesn't put a premium on offensive rebounding, and Garnett and three others who were 20-plus feet from the basket immediately started moving backward to get set on defense.

But Robinson saw an opening and did what he does best. He didn't overthink the play. He crashed from the baseline in front of the Pacers' bench, tipped the ball away from Darren Collison, then did the same with Danny Granger before sprawling out over the Indiana forward to corral the ball while tumbling to the floor.

Robinson then fed Paul Pierce from the seat of his pants, and the ball quickly swung to Ray Allen, who got his defender off his feet before driving and banking home an 9-footer for an eight-point lead with 4:32 to go. It proved to be a pivotal bucket in a 99-88 triumph.

"It's just one of those plays where I'm running and never giving up on the ball, no matter what," Robinson said. "I wanted the ball, I wanted that rebound."

That's exactly the type of effort the Celtics have wanted out of Robinson since he arrived in Boston in a five-player swap that sent Eddie House, Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline last season.

Click HERE to read the full story.

The NBA downgraded a flagrant 1 foul assessed to Shaquille O'Neal on Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma City to a standard foul, while upholding a flagrant 1 foul registered by Nate Robinson Friday night vs. Toronto.

The NBA reviews all flagrant calls with the ability to upgrade, downgrade or uphold all calls.

O'Neal incurred his second flagrant 1 of the season for a hard foul on the Thunder's Russell Westbrook with 4:30 remaining in Oklahoma City's win at the Garden. O'Neal appeared to simply throw his hands in the air, but the force of impact with the driving Westbrook left referees assigning the harsher call (which resulted in two foul shots and the ball). Westbrook made both free throws, giving the Thunder a six-point cushion, and they held off a Boston charge to prevail, 89-84.

Robinson earned his flagrant 1 for a hard foul on Linas Kleiza in the second quarter of Boston's 110-101 triumph over the Raptors on Friday. Kleiza had an open path to the basket for what should have been an easy dunk, but Robinson scrambled over and clearly clubbed Kleiza to prevent the basket.

O'Neal and Robinson each have one flagrant point this season. Suspensions trigger at five points accrued.

In other flagrant fouls news, a flagrant 1 assessed to Washington's Hilton Armstrong during a visit to Boston on Nov. 17 was upheld.

The Celtics were nursing a two-point lead entering the final minute of the first quarter Monday night in Oklahoma City, but utilizing one of the team's simpler sets, Nate Robinson helped Boston generate five points that capped a 12-4 burst to end the frame and put the Celtics out front to stay.

It's a play called "45" and it's name isn't hard to decipher. With a point guard dribbling up top, the two wings bury themselves in the corner, spreading the floor. Power forward Glen Davis (the 4) comes towards center Semih Erden (the 5) giving the appearance he's setting a pick to free Erden, but both players then rush out to the top of the key to set a double pick on the point guard's defender (with their own defenders chasing through the paint).

Robinson gets to pick which way he wants to come off the double-pick, with his preference likely being whichever side the opposing big is lower on. In the first instance that Boston ran the play, Cole Aldrich is caught sinking too low to prevent the drive and Robinson pulls up and buries a 15-foot jumper from the left elbow for a 25-21 lead.

(Read full post)