Mitchell Robinson was in doubt to start the NBA Finals after undergoing surgery on his hand in the week before the series began. While he played through it — and played a key role in the Knicks’ title — the cause of the injury was never explained.
Until now, when Robinson explained it in a Facebook post on Sunday.
“To provide some context, I had been dealing with personal issues, relationship problems, and internal struggles, which affected my performance on the basketball court…Without going into details about my upbringing, I am extremely protective of my siblings, whom I care for deeply.
“Upon returning to New York [after eliminating Cleveland], I received an unexpected phone call, and my family members contacted me, informing me that my youngest brother had been involved in a car accident. I did not see the messages until I arrived home late that night. As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode. I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck…
“After consulting with doctors, I was able to gain the confidence in myself to go in and get the job done and WE DID 2026 NBA CHAMPS. so at the end of the day I battled with so much throughout this season even made a huge sacrifice to not see my daughter as much this season because I needed to focus and lock in so she can have a better future than I did. ❤️”
Robinson is a very private person, and this could not have been easy for him to write. It was also a very human, understandable reaction to incredibly frightening news.
Mitchell signed with the Celtics as a free agent this offseason. Boston offered him a raise, while the Knicks were never going to be able to keep the roster together and stay below the second apron of the luxury tax (as demanded by owner James Dolan).
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