Getty Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks reacts.
New York Knicks starting center Mitchell Robinson shared a cryptic Snapchat post after receiving devastating news.
The Knicks announced on Monday, December 11, that Robinson will undergo left ankle surgery this week at the Hospital for Special Surgery. He will be re-evaluated in 8-10 weeks.
Before the announcement, Robinson vented on Snapchat.
“[I’ve] Been battling stuff my whole life; some days I feel like I take 10 steps ahead, and others feel like I took 20 steps back; even when I do what I’m supposed to, God throws these battles at me that feel like they’re unbeatable no matter what I do. I know I shouldn’t be letting this stuff get to my mental but over time it just takes over,” Robinson shared.
Mitchell Robinson on Snapchat: “Been battling stuff my whole life; some days I feel like I take 10 steps ahead, and others feel like I took 20 steps back; even when I do what I’m supposed to god throws these battles at me that feel like they’re unbeatable no matter what I do
“I…
It was a big blow to the Knicks and Robinson, who is having a career year.
The 25-year-old Knicks center is averaging a career-high 10.3 rebounds, 6.2 points, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. He leads the league in offensive rebounds with 5.3 per game and all centers in steals.
Robinson sustained the injury during Friday’s 133-123 loss to the Celtics in Boston. His initial X-ray result did not yield any damage. So he briefly returned to the game only to sit out the entire fourth quarter.
Robinson missed 23 games last season with a knee injury.
Mitchell Robinson’s Companion on the Mend
Robinson will have a grieving companion as he navigates another rough stretch in his NBA career. His high school coach Butch Stockton has been his roommate this season upon his invitation — an act of kindness that has since gone viral.
Robinson brought Stockton with him to New York after his wife passed away in September.
“My wife passed away in September,” Stockton told MSG Network’s Rebecca Haarlow during the Nov. 30 Knicks-Pistons game at Madison Square Garden.
“When my wife was in the hospital, Mitchell came each day to visit her,” Stockton recounted to Haarlow. “[Robinson] became very close to myself and my wife and after the funeral, Mitchell told everyone that he was gonna bring me to New York with him.”
“He said, ‘Coach there’s no reason you stay down here in Louisiana anymore. You come to New York with me and enjoy yourself and get your mind back straight because you know how much you loved your wife.’”
mitchell robinson’s high school coach, butch stockton, is staying with him in new york, and the reason why is a real feelz punch
Their shared grief could become an inspiration for Robinson to approach the latest setback in his rising career.
Navigating Mitchell Robinson’s Loss
Without Robinson, the Knicks will bank on Isaiah Hartenstein, who grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds against the Celtics, and Jericho Sims.
Hartenstein, whose two-year contract expires after this season, is averaging 5.3 points and 5.6 rebounds off the bench this season. He put up 7.8 rebounds, 5.4 points and 1.3 assists in 23 games without Robinson last season.
Meanwhile, Sims has only appeared in nine games this season, mostly on garbage time. He is usually productive every time Robinson is out. Sims averaged 3.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 52 games, including 16 spot starts, last season.
The Knicks will be tested in Robinson’s absence as they close out the year with eight of their next 11 games on the road.