New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson defended his decision to express condolences to the family of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and rebuked critics who attacked him on social media, saying Thursday that people who disagree with him should "unfollow, unfriend" him.
Robinson posted a photograph of Kirk’s wife and two children with the comment "I feel bad for his family" after Kirk was shot while speaking on a university campus this week and later died. The post drew criticism from some users, prompting Robinson to respond in a series of remarks reposted by the New York Basketball account on X. "I’m never the type to get into the political field," Robinson wrote, but added he did not understand why people became "so sensitive and offended about someone else’s opinion or beliefs."
Robinson said he respects others’ beliefs and that his message of sympathy was not intended as a political statement. "I respect your mindset and beliefs but it’s not gone change what I believe and stand for," he wrote. "You don’t have to like me, you can unfollow, unfriend me whatever you have to do to never see what I do or say I could care less about what you do or think of me!"
The center added that, as a father, he cannot condone children growing up without a parent. "As a father myself, no kid should have to grow up without their father or mother at the end of the day!.....I don’t do the things I do for attention or clout…Again, I could care less what people think of me…the ones that know me already know what I stand for!" he wrote in the post.
The remarks were shared publicly on X, where the New York Basketball account reposted Robinson’s comments. The exchange has drawn attention amid a broader national reaction to the shooting of Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. He was rushed to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, according to news reports.
Robinson, 26, is a key member of the Knicks’ roster as the team enters a season in which it is considered among the contenders for the NBA Finals. Team officials have not issued a statement about Robinson’s social media posts.
Public figures who comment on politically charged or violent events often face polarized responses from audiences. In this case, Robinson — known primarily for his role on the basketball court — framed his message as a human reaction to a family’s loss and pushed back against those who read it as a political endorsement.
The incident highlights tensions on social media when athletes and other celebrities make public remarks about high-profile, politically infused events. Robinson’s post and subsequent defense underscore how expressions of sympathy can draw both support and criticism depending on the political identities and expectations of audiences.
No law-enforcement updates about the shooting were included in Robinson’s posts, and the Knicks organization has not commented publicly on the matter as of Thursday.