Former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson finally revealed Sunday morning how he broke his hand before the NBA Finals, stating he banged on one of his trucks after learning his brother had been in a car accident.
Robinson, who signed a three-year, $47.4 contract with the rival Celtics in free agency after helping the Knicks win their first NBA championship in 53 years, fractured the fifth metacarpal in his right hand after the team defeated the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals and underwent surgery.
He didn’t miss any games and played in the Finals with his hand wrapped.
The 28-year-old detailed how he got hurt in a Facebook post.
“I would like to address the concerns regarding my finger, which was actually my knuckle,” Robinson began. “To provide some context, I had been dealing with personal issues, relationship problems, and internal struggles, which affected my performance on the basketball court. In this league I simply follow the instructions given to me y’all have seen videos of everything I’m very capable of doing. 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.
“As many of you know, I am a compassionate and private person who enjoys listening to country music. Without going into details about my upbringing, I am extremely protective of my siblings, whom I care for deeply. 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. 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. As many of you know, I have a deep affection for my trucks, but my siblings and daughter are my top priority. Before judging someone, it is essential to understand their circumstances, which may not be publicly known. Life is unpredictable, and it is how we respond to challenges that truly matters.
“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.”
While Robinson’s minutes were limited as the Spurs used the Hack-a-Mitch strategy against the poor free-throw shooter, Robinson was impactful when he was on the court.
He successfully defended Victor Wembanyama at the end of Game 2 as the Spurs star missed the final shot attempt of the game to put the Knicks up 2-0 in the series.
With owner James Dolan not wanting the Knicks to enter the second apron, they couldn’t afford to retain Robinson, who will now try to usurp his former team with hated Boston.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
