Mitchell Robinson Leaves Knicks, Turns Free-Throw Woes Into a New Celtics Story as Brunson Warns of Rivalry

Mitchell Robinson Turns the Page With a Free-Throw Flex After Leaving Knicks

Mitchell Robinson is done looking back. Fresh off signing a three-year, $47.4 million contract with the Boston Celtics in July, the center became the only player to leave New York's championship roster the Knicks' first title since 1973  and he's already writing his own next chapter. This week, Robinson posted an Instagram video responding to a fan who challenged him to knock down two free throws in a row. He drilled both, then fired back at the critic with a blunt caption telling them to back off.

It's a small moment, but the timing says a lot. Robinson isn't hiding from the one part of his game that's followed him for years  he's putting it front and center, on his own terms, in a new uniform.

Why This Free-Throw Video Is Bigger Than a Single Highlight

Free-throw shooting has been Robinson's most persistent weakness. Last season, he averaged 5.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, but his free-throw percentage sank to a career-low 40.8% a steep drop from his career mark of roughly 50.8%. It's the kind of number that's followed him into every playoff series and every late-game defensive substitution debate.

So when Robinson chooses to publicly showcase free throws the exact stat that's been used against him for years it reads less like a random flex and more like a deliberate move. He's controlling the narrative before Celtics fans or Knicks fans get the chance to do it for him.

Boston president Brad Stevens has already signaled the front office isn't worried about the shooting line, calling Robinson a player who makes the Celtics better simply through his rim protection and rebounding. The bet in Boston is that his impact shows up in areas the box score doesn't always capture.

Jalen Brunson: 'He's Not My Friend That Day'

Jalen Brunson didn't sugarcoat how the Knicks feel about losing Robinson. He called the move "very tough" and made clear Robinson is still "my guy" off the court. But Brunson also drew a hard line for when the two teams actually meet: "He's not my friend that day."

Brunson framed the departure as a business reality more than a basketball decision, explaining that the Knicks "had to lose Mitch" because of second-apron salary restrictions that made keeping him financially impossible. He added that he'd "obviously love to have him back" if circumstances were different a rare public admission of just how much New York valued Robinson's presence, even as the front office had no room to retain him.

The comments capture the strange middle ground pro athletes navigate constantly: genuine friendship paused for exactly 48 minutes, four times a season.

The Rebounding Void and the Four Games Everyone Will Circle

Robinson wasn't just the Knicks' longest-tenured player he was one of the most disruptive offensive rebounders in the modern NBA, the kind of second-chance engine that turned missed shots into extra possessions night after night. Replacing that instinct isn't simple. New York's early answer includes leaning more heavily on Andre Drummond, another traditional big who'll need to adjust to a larger frontcourt role now that Robinson is gone.

The real test of this split, though, isn't in practice or on Instagram — it's on the schedule. The Knicks and Celtics face off four times in 2026-27, and each matchup will double as a referendum on how much Robinson's absence actually costs New York inside.

The March 14 game in particular has already been flagged as a surreal night for Knicks fans — Mitchell Robinson, back at Madison Square Garden, wearing green after eight years in blue and orange.