Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson was born in May of 1984 in Seattle, Washington to parents Jacque and Renee. He grew up with three siblings, two brothers named Anthony and Deron, along with a sister named Jasmine.
After spending his first two years of high school at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, Robinson moved to Union City, California. There, he attended James Logan High School for one year before returning home for his senior season.
As a senior, Robinson led his team to a AAA state championship, while averaging 17.9 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals per game. His number two jersey was retired by the school.
Robinson played three years of college ball for the University of Washington. In fact, he enrolled on a football scholarship. Following one year as a two-sport athlete, he decided to shift his focus entirely to basketball.
