Ever since Micheal Jordan hopscotched from basketball to baseball back to basketball and then to golf, professional athletes have just assumed that they can play multiple sports. “Yeah, I’m an NBA player, but I could totally play in the NFL. Sure, the most basic contact warrants a foul in my league, but I could totally find success in a league that stresses the importance of high-speed contact.” Which, actually, is exactly what former NBA star Nate Robinson is planning to do.
Granted, Robinson played both football and basketball in college to great success. And, if I was in his situation, I would have 100% gone to the NBA over the NFL as well. Way more money for way less stress. Plus, even if you ride the bench, gold-diggers still know what you look like because you don’t have a huge helmet strapped to your face. That’s important. Sure, it sucks not getting into the game, but it sucks even more to be the only dude in the locker room not giving facials to women whose name you don’t know.
Regardless, in an attempt to capitalize on his past success as well as continue to stay active and competitive, Nate Robinson has decided to try out for the Seattle Seahawks.
Via Washington Post:
“Former NBA point guard Nate Robinson tried out for the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, according to two people close to the situation. Robinson tried out with the team as a defensive back. It’s his first tryout with an NFL team as the 32-year-old has previously expressed interest in pursuing an NFL career.
It appears unlikely that the Seahawks will sign Robinson immediately, but the two sides will stay in touch.
Robinson, a Seattle native, last played football at the University of Washington in 2002. He played in all 13 games at cornerback, starting in the final six games of the season, before dropping the sport and focusing on basketball. Robinson also played both sports at Rainier Beach High, totaling 21 touchdowns and more than 1,700 total yards as a senior.
Drafted 21st overall in the 2005 NBA draft, Robinson has spent 11 seasons in the league with eight teams and averaged 11 points per game in 618 games. He had a brief stint with the New Orleans Pelicans this season that lasted two games. The three-time NBA slam dunk champion signed with Hapoel Tel-Aviv in March and averaged 16.2 points in 14 games.”
Personally, if I’d already had a full career in the NBA and wanted to stay active, I’d join like a beer league or a local men’s club. You can still talk shit to the competition and have fun, but you don’t need to put your body through the ringer against other professional athletes who are younger/bigger than you. Yeah, you still have competitive spirit, but for how much longer? Plus, the more energy you use on the field, the less you’ll have for your side chicks. And they need it more than anybody.
In all seriousness, though, I feel as if we’re entering a time when athletes crossing between sports will become less uncommon. Athletes nowadays begin to hone their skills much younger than they used to in the old days. Most professional athletes muscle their way to the top as a result of their overall athleticism to muscle on top of their particular skills. For instance, I would argue that a player such as Marshawn Lynch would be able to find enough success in the NBA that it would be worth his while to sign a 2 or 3 year contract. I don’t even know what his history with basketball is, but he’s fast enough and strong enough to play a little defense and drive to the basket. I’m not saying he’s a starter, but he’d be an enviable 6th or 7th man. Not everyone would be able to do it, but enough could that it may become a noticeable trend. Plus, it’s a whole new pool of side chicks, and that’s really what everyone wants.