Mitchell Robinson does not want to hear it.
Days after undergoing surgery on a broken pinkie finger that put his NBA Finals availability in doubt, the Knicks center took to Instagram with a message for the people he believes have been rooting against him. It was not subtle.
“The ones that want to see me down and hurt all I gotta say for you is f*** you,” Robinson wrote.
He went further. “And last the ones that say they love and care about me but can’t be there for me when I need them but I’m always there when they need me god will get you.”
That is a guy who is clearly tired of being doubted.
Robinson’s injury history with the Knicks is the source of a lot of fan frustration in New York. He has battled foot, ankle, and hand issues for most of his career. Every time he gets going, something seems to break. That has frustrated fans who have watched him miss huge stretches of regular seasons and entire playoff runs. The broken pinkie is the latest entry on a long list.
The injury itself is a fractured fifth metacarpal, the bone that connects the wrist to the pinkie finger. Robinson underwent surgery and is hoping to play in Game 1 of the Finals against San Antonio with a brace. The Knicks expect him to suit up if he is cleared medically. Whether he can actually be effective with a healing finger on his shooting hand is another question entirely.
Robinson has been an important piece of the Knicks’ playoff run. He has averaged 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 14.2 minutes per game off the bench, providing the kind of rim protection and offensive rebounding that gives New York an edge in physical games. With Karl-Anthony Towns starting at center, Robinson’s role is to come in and bring chaos. He has been good at it when he has been on the floor.
For Knicks fans, the Instagram post is a Rorschach test. Some will read it as Robinson finally standing up for himself after years of unfair criticism. Others will see it as a player picking a fight at the worst possible time. Both readings are probably correct.
The reality is that Robinson is right about one thing. He has heard plenty of criticism over the years, and a lot of it has come from his own fan base. The Knicks have given him chance after chance because his skill set is actually valuable when he is on the floor. He has not always rewarded that patience with health, but he has rewarded it with effort.
The Finals start Wednesday in San Antonio. Whether Robinson plays or not, the Knicks are going to need him at some point in this series. Victor Wembanyama is the biggest matchup problem in basketball. Karl-Anthony Towns is going to need help on the defensive end. Robinson’s rim protection, even on one good hand, is one of New York’s better answers.
If Robinson plays a role in winning the franchise its first championship in 53 years, the haters he is calling out are going to disappear pretty quickly. That is usually how it works in this league.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
