HoopsHype.com Rumors

Chicago Bulls guard Nate Robinson doesn't hide his dislike for the Brooklyn Nets' C.J. Watson. In fact, Robinson views it as a positive. "We're just competitors," Robinson said Monday after helping the Bulls even their Eastern Conference quarterfinals at a game apiece. "I don't like him, he don't like me. That's how it's going to be. There's animosity between the two of us, and for us, that's good." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Nate Robinson, CJ Watson 

"When you don't like somebody and you're playing against somebody, you want to destroy the other person," Robinson said. "You want to shut that person down. You want to do good, so for me, it's just a lot of confidence. ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Nate Robinson, CJ Watson 

The 5-foot-9 Robinson must have known that a jump ball with 6-foot-9 Raptors forward Rudy Gay was a lost cause. So he didn't even try to contest. Instead, he ran behind Gay after the referee threw the ball into the air, caught Gay's tip, and took a shot. Pretty genius, right? Well, no. The problem with Robinson's plan is that the NBA's rulebook forbids either player participating in a jump ball from leaving the circle until after the ball is tapped. It also states that one of the eight other players on the court must touch the ball before either jumper is allowed to again. If you didn't know that was a rule, it's probably because you can't remember a time when it's ever had to be enforced. You're not alone. So thanks for that, Nate. USA Today Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Referees 

Bulls guard Nate Robinson vigorously applied the “Discount Double Check” championship belt after hitting a three- pointer during a 118-111 overtime win over the Knicks at the United Center on Thursday night, apparently mocking Steve Novak in their ongoing dispute over the celebration. After hitting his fifth long ball of the game to give Chicago a 97-90 lead with a little more than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Robinson applied the belt roughly seven times as he walked toward the Bulls bench after the Knicks called timeout. His teammates, as you might expect, couldn’t contain their laughter. SI.com

Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Nate Robinson, Steve Novak 

Wilson Chandler: Nate Rob is a fool lol. Instant O Twitter @wilsonchandler

Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler, Steve Novak 

Thibodeau clarified comments he made Monday, citing displeasure with Kirk Hinrich and Nate Robinson starting together Sunday in Detroit. "I've been very pleased with how Hinrich and Nate have played together," he said. "What I didn't like was taking away the rotation of how we had been playing (by starting them)." Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

‘‘Nate — he’s the key to this team,’’ Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler said of Nate Robinson, his effusive and explosive teammate. ‘‘The offense that he brings, the way he can easily shift the momentum of the game. That’s big on any team, and Nate’s done that for us.’’ Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Jimmy Butler 

Nate Robinson seems one of those guys who wears clothes a size too small so that he can pretend he's big. The Chicago Bulls guard is the shortest player in the NBA at 5 feet, 9 inches, but he also is the only three-time champion of the All-Star weekend slam dunk contest. He plays guard but works on his muscular build, as powerful as most centers'. He dunked over Dwight Howard just to feel big (and win one of those contests). The NBA's Napoleon delivered again Wednesday in a 101-83 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, giving us the most relaxed layup in the world, in an impression of Karl Malone's most relaxed dunk ever. USA Today Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Karl Malone 

A day later, courtesy of Complex and Deadspin, we’ve learned that these very expensive Jordans (to a 17-year old kid on an allowance in 1997) actually ranked second amongst the two pair that Robinson strung up that night. Nate Rob played the first half in a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 2s, which are apparently a thing that sell for $250 and, according to Deadspin, fetch up to $2000 on second-hand online retailers that don’t actually turn the shoes into “second hand” kicks by, y’know, wearing them in an NBA basketball game on national TV. Take a look at these (probably not suited for NBA basketball) things: Yahoo! Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Sneakers 

There are a few things that are bizarre about Nate Robinson's decision to wear Air Yeezy 2s during last night's Bulls-Spurs game. For one, those shoes are ridiculously expensive. Although they retail at $250, the demand for the shoes has become so high that they routinely fetch prices upwards of $2,000 on eBay and other sites. Also, these are not shoes that are really meant to be used on an NBA court. Deadspin.com

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Sneakers 

KC Johnson: Lou Amundson takes the locker next to Nate Robinson, the one where Nate used to store his roughly 50 pairs of Air Jordans. #Bulls Twitter @KCJHoop

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Louis Amundson 

Funny, (Nate Robinson) reminds me of our 7-year-old, who never stops talking. Nate has incredible energy. I’ve truly never seen anything like it in a locker room. Many times this season, I’ve been interviewing an athlete on the other side of the locker room and I go to transcribe the interview and all I hear is Nate. I can only imagine what it’s like on the team buses and planes. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

I think Nate has a tendency to wear people out and can serve as a distraction at times. His energy is more enthusiastic than malicious, but I’d be surprised to see him return. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

Of course, that might not happen if the Bulls make a move by Thursday's trade deadline. League sources said last week the Raptors were told the Carlos Boozer and Nate Robinson deal for Andrea Bargnani and John Lucas III was available whenever they wanted it. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Carlos Boozer, Nate Robinson, John Lucas, Andrea Bargnani 

ESPN.com's Marc Stein first reported the talks, which a source told the Tribune were initiated by the Bulls and initially dismissed because of the Raptors' desire to land the Lakers' Pau Gasol. Though talks are not currently active, a source said the Raptors know the trade is available and could expand to include Nate Robinson and John Lucas III. Another source suggested it's unlikely the Raptors would take on Boozer's contract, which has $9.1 million more than Bargnani's over the next two seasons. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Carlos Boozer, Nate Robinson, Andrea Bargnani, John Lucas III 

Chicago Bulls point guard Nate Robinson said Wednesday he had a plan if he didn't sign with an NBA team last summer, and he wasn't going to let his 5-foot-9 frame get in the way. "If I didn't (make a basketball team) I was going to go play football," Robinson said. "So it really didn't matter to me ... I was going to try out if I didn't get a job in basketball." ESPN.com

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

To the one hundredth of one percent of humans who have experienced what it's like to bounce 40 inches-plus in the air with nothing but a pair high tops to get you there, jumping is an artistic expression. "It's an art form, it really is," Robinson says. "A guy like Gerald Green controls his hops and his jumps are for a purpose. Julius Erving had big hands. He was always moving the ball all around; he made it look like magic in the air. Then you have explosive dunkers who jump high and dunk hard like Dominique Wilkins. Me? I'm an energy jumper. My jumping ability is more like an explosive Dennis Rodman, and since I'm shorter, it looks crazy. I'm just a guy out there who's trying to show the world what I can do. Not too many 5-9 guys can dunk like I can." Yahoo! Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson, Gerald Green, Dennis Rodman, Julius Erving, Dominique Wilkins 

The phrase Robinson repeats when asked about the key to maximizing your vertical leap is "control your hops." By that, he says he's talking about three things: Timing, control and balance. "There are guys who can jump out of the gym, but they can't control it," he says. "For anyone who wants to dunk, you have to get balanced and go for it. You need to use your core and your legs and have everything work at the right time. So much of dunking comes from your core. I do so many sit-ups and crunches and high knees and running the bleachers in the off-season because lots of jumping comes from ab muscles." Yahoo! Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

"Nate set a record in the 110-meter hurdles here in Washington when he was in high school. He was ranked top five in the nation," he says. "He was an all-state football player. He could be in the NFL right now. Nate is talented but you still have to work your talent. There's no perfect athlete. Where Nate excels is in his strength to body mass ratio. His strength to body mass ratio is off the charts." Yahoo! Sports

Chicago Bulls, Nate Robinson 

Nate Robinson obviously doesn’t care what the Knicks’ Steve Novak was saying, as the Bulls guard is still doing the “belt celebration’’ after hitting a three-pointer. Then again, Novak stole it from Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers. Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Nate Robinson, Steve Novak