Mitchell Robinson did not pander to emotions when asked about facing the New York Knicks — the team he spent his first eight NBA seasons with — for the first time as a member of the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
“It don’t really matter that much,” Robinson said. “It’s more so just trying to bounce back from what happened two nights ago. At the end of the day, basketball is a business, and we gotta play the teams like you play the other teams.”
Robinson was a casualty of Knicks owner James Dolan’s penny-pinching, as a strict edict not to surpass the second apron guaranteed that the veteran big man would not get anything close to what he was looking for in his next deal. He eventually found it with the Celtics, inking a three-year, $47.3 million pact to bolster their frontcourt.
The 28-year-old was the longest-tenured Knick last season when he played an important supporting role in breaking the franchise’s 53-year championship drought. A dominant force under the basket, he lived up to expectations in the playoffs by controlling the glass when his number was called. He also played vital defense against Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during the Finals, including a hard contest in the final possession of Game 2, clinching a 105-104 Knicks win.
While Robinson does not appear to be feeling all that sentimental, his former Knicks teammates certainly are.
“It’s bittersweet. We love Mitch,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We did so many historical things together. To not see him in a Knicks jersey anymore, obviously, for all of us — we’re a family unit, you know how much we care about each other. To not be able to have him with us on this journey after that amazing journey we went through is bittersweet. It’s gonna be amazing to see our brother, to be able to hug him, to be able to show him some love, and to compete.”
“You’re excited for anybody that’s able to help their situation or family in life,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said. “And Boston gave him a nice deal. You want nothing but the best for him because you know him and he’s a great friggin’ dude. But at the end of the day, you want to beat him.”
The oft-injured Robinson did experience a bit of a scare in his Celtics debut on Tuesday. He tweaked his ankle in the first half and had to be looked at by trainers, but was able to get back in the game.
It was hardly an inspiring performance, though. Robinson posted four points, three rebounds, and two blocks in 18 minutes.
“I played like a—s,” Robinson said. “I’m just straightforward… I gotta be better.”
For more on Mitchell Robinson and the Knicks, visit AMNY.com
