Nate Robinson was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder for less than a year, but he seems to have made quite an impact, off the court, in that time.
Robinson was somewhat of a veteran when he arrived in OKC in 2011, and Kevin Durant revealed that he had some fun pranking James Harden during his short stay.
“I remember one time James got so mad,” Durant said on the Knuckleheads podcast. “We had Nate Robinson on the team. James and Eric Maynor, they used to always play around. So we in practice one day, we all in practice, we were wondering where Nate at. Nate runs into James’ car, drives his car all the way around the corner, and parked it at the car wash. He ain’t tell nobody. He just parked it at the car wash out of nowhere. He taking pictures ghost ridin’ this joint, like on top of the hood.”
“We walked in the locker room, and James was like, ‘Yo, where’s my keys at?’ He’s steaming. He’s hot. He’s ready to fight Nate almost. Pissed. You know when somebody moves something and you trying to leave and you’re irritated. Man, that was the first time we ever got into anything as a team, when Nate comes on the team. It was hilarious and I see why James was pissed.”
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Harden was understandably pissed, but exchanging blows over something like this might have been a bit much. Robinson might look back fondly at that incident now, but it was probably the highlight of his stay with the franchise. He only played four games in the regular season and three in the playoffs for the Thunder, before being waived prior to the start of the 2011-12 season.
The Thunder Not Re-Signing James Harden Remains One Of The Biggest Mistakes In NBA History
Harden would last just one more season than Robinson at OKC, as he was traded to the Houston Rockets after the 2011-12 campaign. The Thunder not being willing to match Harden’s demands for a new contract back then remains one of the biggest mistakes in NBA history.
While it is doubtful if he’d ever have become the superstar he has been over the years had he stayed, he undoubtedly would have been a very good player nonetheless. The Thunder did not get a whole lot in return for him in hindsight, as Harden went on to win multiple scoring and assist titles as well as an MVP.
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