New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has revealed the deeply personal circumstances surrounding a fractured hand that occurred shortly before the NBA Finals. Robinson, who recently signed with the Boston Celtics, shared on social media that the injury stemmed from a family emergency.
Robinson explained that following the Eastern Conference Finals victory over Cleveland, he received an urgent call informing him that his youngest brother had been involved in a car accident. The news prompted an immediate reaction as he tried to ascertain his brother's condition, which he initially perceived as dire when FaceTiming him and seeing him in a neck brace and unresponsive.
Feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the situation, Robinson confessed, "In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck." This action resulted in a fracture of his fifth metacarpal in his right hand. Despite the injury, which required surgery, Robinson played through the pain, with his hand heavily wrapped, during the NBA Finals. His presence was a factor in the Knicks securing their first championship in 53 years.
Robinson noted that he had also made significant personal sacrifices throughout the season, including limited contact with his daughter, to maintain focus. He stated, "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."
During the Finals, Robinson averaged 3.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game across five contests. A pivotal moment came in Game 5, where he secured a crucial offensive rebound that helped seal the Knicks' 94-90 victory and end the franchise's long championship drought. The Knicks were unable to re-sign Robinson due to salary cap constraints following their championship run.