• by Wendy Davis  @wendyndavis, December 7, 2005

MSNBC.com has tapped New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson to blog about his first year as a professional basketball player, the Internet company said Tuesday.

Robinson's blog, "The Gr8 Life," joins around a dozen other Web logs currently on MSNBC.com, including ones penned by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, and author and journalist Eric Alterman. Robinson's blog, as well as several others on MSNBC.com, carries display ads; as of Tuesday evening, LowerMyBills.com and NeimanMarcus.com were among Gr8 Life's advertisers.

Robinson, drafted from the University of Washington, dictates his entries to MSNBC.com's sports editors, according to an MSNBC.com spokeswoman. Although the site contains links to the NBA, that organization doesn't vet the entries or sponsor the posts, the spokeswoman said.

Unlike the snarky Gawker Media blogs, or unpredictable consumer-generated efforts, Gr8 Life entries so far have a relentlessly upbeat, earnest tone. "On Monday Nov. 28, we got to go to Miami to play against the Miami Heat," Robinson posted last week. "Like the game against the 76ers, this was also a thrill for me because I got to play against Gary Payton."

The entries are accompanied by photos from Getty Images, which has a licensing deal with MSNBC.com.

Robinson is one of a growing roster of professional sports players who blog, ranging from Chicago Bulls guard Chris Duhon to San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds.