For weeks, Mitchell Robinson fought through pain that everyone could see. The protective brace on his right hand during the 2026 NBA Finals told part of the story. What it didn’t reveal was the deeply personal ordeal that led to the injury in the first place. Weeks after helping the New York Knicks win their first NBA championship in 53 years, Robinson has finally explained what happened.

“I received an unexpected phone call, and my family members contacted me, informing me that my youngest brother had been involved in a car accident. I did not see the messages until I arrived home late that night. As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode,” Mitchell Robinson wrote in a Facebook post.

“I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless.”

The Knicks had just completed their 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals and returned to New York before shifting their focus to the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. But it is understandable for the eldest son to feel lost in such a tragic moment.

Although his brother survived the serious car accident and is recovering, the emotional weight of that moment led Robinson to an impulsive act that ultimately caused the injury.

“In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck…I would like to address the concerns regarding my finger, which was actually my knuckle.”

The collision left Robinson with a broken fifth metacarpal in his right hand, forcing him to undergo surgery just days before the NBA Finals and putting his availability for the series in doubt.

At the time, neither Robinson nor the Knicks disclosed how the injury occurred. Head coach Mike Brown only confirmed that it did not happen during a game or practice, leaving plenty of room for speculation.

Mitchell Robinson played through unimaginable pain

During the practice session ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Mitchell Robinson wore a black wrap over his shooting hand and right wrist. The then-Knicks star didn’t want to elaborate on his injury, and the team declined to share any details. This lack of information naturally triggered speculation about how the injury happened.

Despite the injury, the 7-footer didn’t miss a game and continued to provide his trademark rim protection and rebounding as New York defeated the Spurs in five games to capture the title. He averaged 3.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game during the Finals, while playing with his hand heavily wrapped.

He added in his Facebook post: “After consulting with doctors, I was able to gain the confidence in myself to go in and get the job done and WE DID 2026 NBA CHAMPS.”

Robinson also reflected on the sacrifices he made throughout the season, writing, “So at the end of the day I battled with so much throughout this season. Even made a huge sacrifice to not see my daughter as much this season because I needed to focus and lock in so she can have a better future than I did.”

Addressing those who questioned the circumstances surrounding his injury, Robinson urged people to be mindful that athletes often deal with personal struggles away from the spotlight. “Life is unpredictable, and it is how we respond to challenges that truly matters,” Robinson also said.

With that, Robinson finally put to rest one of the biggest unanswered questions from the Knicks’ championship run, revealing that the injury fans saw throughout the Finals stemmed from a family emergency few knew he was dealing with behind the scenes.