Mitchell Robinson has opened up about the painful family tragedy that triggered a serious hand injury and came close to jeopardizing his recent appearance in the NBA Finals.
The 28-year-old defensive anchor shared the emotional backstory only days after departing the New York Knicks in free agency to sign with the Boston Celtics.
Reports in May disclosed that Robinson had fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand shortly after the Eastern Conference Finals.
Although the injury was serious enough to require surgery, the center pushed through the discomfort and played on during the NBA Finals with his hand heavily bandaged.
His impact on the defensive end proved crucial as the Knicks captured the franchise’s first championship in 53 years, before Robinson later agreed to a new deal with the Celtics.
In a social media post on Sunday morning, the former Knicks standout finally detailed the devastating circumstances behind the fracture that had previously gone unexplained.
Former New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson explained how he broke his hand just days before Game 1 of the NBA Finals
Robinson went on to help guide the Knicks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999
‘To provide some context, I had been dealing with personal issues, relationship problems, and internal struggles, which affected my performance on the basketball court,’ Robinson began his detailed post.
‘Moving forward to the Eastern Conference finals, after our victory in Cleveland, everything seemed to be going well. We were celebrating our achievement, but for me, things took a turn for the worse.’
The center explained he was pulled away from the team’s post-series activities to manage a family emergency.
‘Without going into details about my upbringing, I am extremely protective of my siblings, whom I care for deeply,’ he wrote.
‘Upon returning to New York, 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.’
The unexpected news prompted the athlete to immediately try and gather information regarding the crash.
‘As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode,’ Robinson continued.
‘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.’
Robinson played a crucial role in their series win over the San Antonio Spurs last month
The situation ultimately led to the physical injury he sustained ahead of the championship round.
‘Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck,’ he confessed. ‘As many of you know, I have a deep affection for my trucks, but my siblings and daughter are my top priority.’
‘Life is unpredictable, and it is how we respond to challenges that truly matters,’ he wrote, adding that after consulting with doctors he gained the confidence to return to the court.
‘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.’
Despite his shooting struggles, the injured center still made his presence felt throughout the series, averaging 3.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks across the five games.
His grittiest moment came in the Finals-clinching Game 5, where Robinson hauled in a crucial late offensive rebound to help seal New York’s 94-90 win and end the franchise’s 53-year championship drought.
Following the championship run, New York were unable to retain Robinson amid salary cap constraints and he has since agreed to a new deal with the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks will now prepare to defend their title without their former center.
