Ruben Nathaniel Patterson (born July 31, 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA. He was signed (but later released) by the Los Angeles Clippers after playing the final year of a six-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. He plays small forward, but has also shown the ability to defend any opposing player from the point guard to the power forward. During his college career at the University of Cincinnati, Patterson earned third-team All-American honors and helped lead the Bearcats to Conference USA titles in both of his seasons there.