Nobody expected a 5-foot-9 guy to break the NBA. Honestly, when Nate Robinson walked onto the court for his first dunk contest, he looked like a kid who’d wandered away from the stands. Then he jumped.
And he didn't stop jumping for three years.
He isn't just another name in the record books. Nate Robinson dunk champion status is a whole different beast because he’s the only person to ever win the trophy three times. Not Michael Jordan. Not Dominique Wilkins. Not even Vince Carter. It’s the little guy from Seattle.
The 2006 Robbery?
Let’s get into the weeds. His first win in 2006 is still one of the most debated nights in All-Star history. He was a rookie for the New York Knicks, and he was going up against Andre Iguodala.
Iguodala was clinical. He did a dunk from behind the backboard that felt like physics wasn't real. But Nate had the "it" factor. He brought out Spud Webb—the 1986 winner and the original "short guy" dunker—and jumped right over him. The crowd lost it.
The problem? Nate took 14 attempts to land his final dunk.
Fourteen.
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In today’s NBA, the judges would’ve probably sent him home after attempt number six. But back then, the rules were a bit loosey-goosey. He eventually nailed a between-the-legs finish that secured a 141-140 victory in a dunk-off. Fans of Iguodala still claim it was a "home cooking" win because it was a spectacle over a sport. But you can't deny the energy he injected into a contest that was basically dying at the time.
KryptoNate vs. Superman
Fast forward to 2009. This is the peak. This is the moment everyone remembers.
Dwight Howard was the defending champ, and he was leaning hard into the "Superman" persona. He had the cape. He had the phone booth. He was 6-foot-11 and looked like he was carved out of granite. Nate Robinson, standing over a foot shorter, decided to lean into the comedy.
He wore an all-green Knicks jersey. He laced up lime green "KryptoNate" Nike Foamposites.
He literally jumped over Dwight Howard.
It wasn't a "brush past his shoulder" jump. He cleared the biggest man on the court. It was pure theater. Nate won with 52% of the fan vote, proving that people care more about the story than the technical difficulty. He was the underdog who actually bit back.
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The 2010 Three-Peat
By the time 2010 rolled around in Dallas, people were kinda over the gimmick. Nate was facing DeMar DeRozan, who is one of the most underrated dunkers ever. DeRozan was doing stuff that was arguably much harder.
But Nate was a showman.
He didn't have the same "wow" factor as the previous year, but he was consistent. He hit a backboard-tap 180 that was way harder than it looked for a guy his size. He won again. He became the first-ever three-time Nate Robinson dunk champion, a record that still stands today in 2026.
Why He Was More Than Just a Dunker
It’s easy to pigeonhole him as a dunk contest specialist. That’s a mistake.
Nate Robinson was a legit basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the league. He dropped 45 points in a single game against Portland. He was the spark plug for those gritty Chicago Bulls teams under Tom Thibodeau.
Remember the 2013 playoffs? Nate went on a tear against the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 34 points, including 23 in the fourth quarter. He was 5-foot-9 (some say 5-foot-7 in socks) and he was fearless. He blocked Yao Ming. He blocked LeBron James. He played like he was 7 feet tall.
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The Reality of His Legacy
If you talk to "purists," they'll tell you Nate Robinson ruined the dunk contest. They hate the missed attempts. They hate the props. They think the "short guy" handicap gave him points he didn't earn.
I think they're wrong.
The dunk contest is about entertainment. It’s about making people stand up and scream at their TVs. Nate did that better than almost anyone. He understood that the crowd wanted a hero, and he gave them one.
His dunks weren't just about verticality; they were about heart. When you see a guy that small flying that high, it does something to your brain. It makes the impossible feel sorta possible.
What You Can Learn From Nate's Run
If you're a player or just a fan, Nate's career offers some pretty solid takeaways:
- Lean into your "weakness": Nate's height was his biggest hurdle, but he turned it into his most marketable trait.
- Showmanship matters: Technical skill is great, but if you don't connect with the audience, you're just a robot.
- Resilience is key: Missing 13 dunks in a row on national TV would break most people. Nate just kept going until he made the 14th.
If you want to dive deeper into the history of the All-Star weekend, go back and watch the 2006 and 2009 full broadcasts. You’ll see the tension in the building. You'll see why, despite all the controversy, we still talk about him today.
Keep an eye on the current crop of "small" guards in the league. None of them have quite captured the magic Nate did, but the blueprint is there. He proved that you don't need to be a giant to own the rim. You just need enough bounce and the guts to fail until you fly.