This week marked the start of a new season for the New York Knicks, and their first game in years without the veteran NBA center Mitchell Robinson on the roster.
Prior to the Knicks’ banner night at Madison Square Garden, Robinson helped open up the 2026-2027 NBA season by debuting with the Boston Celtics against the Detroit Pistons.
The big man’s debut was highly anticipated. From a personal standpoint, Robinson came up short, along with his team.
Ex-Knicks Center Mitchell Robinson Gets Extremely Critical Of Celtics Debut
Not only did Robinson get hurt early on, but there was a trickle-down effect after getting shaken up.
The veteran center ended up struggling through his first set of action with the Celtics. While he admitted he was “OK” after the game, Robinson was brutally honest regarding his own performance.
“I got my ass kicked on the glass. I can’t have no starts like that. It’s cool to get out there and put on that Boston jersey for the first time in a regular-season game, but overall, I still didn’t do what I needed to do,” Robinson told reporters, according to Gary Washburn.
“I gotta compete better. I feel like I didn’t compete at the high level I normally do, and I was kind of slow on a lot of things.”
The New Celtic’s Debut
Robinson checked in for 18 minutes against the Pistons on the road.
The veteran center made both of his shots from the field, but missed both of his free throws. Offensively, he contributed to four points and one assist.
The Celtics didn’t invest nearly $50 million into Robinson for his offensive production, though. They needed his interior presence, specifically on the glass. Robinson was quiet there. He posted just three rebounds.
After getting that first game out of his system, Robinson can look forward to his home debut in Boston, where he’ll help his new team host his old team. The Celtics and the Knicks will go head-to-head on October 23.
