Mitchell Robinson III (born April 1, 1998) is an American professional

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player for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...

of the

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(NBA). He was selected with the 36th overall pick in the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including internationa ...

. Before beginning his professional career, he gained national coverage for withdrawing from his commitment to attend

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...

to instead dedicate the entire 2017–18 season for training on his own, being the first player to make such a decision.

High school career

Mitchell Robinson attended Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida, for the first two years of his high school career, briefly transferring to Landry-Walker College and Career Preparatory High School in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

as a sophomore, for whom he never played. He did appear for Pine Forest as a freshman and sophomore, but did not make much of an impact, as he was still relatively new to basketball, only starting playing in eighth grade, during a growth spurt that took him from to . He first appeared in the summer league before his junior year for Chalmette High School. As a junior, Robinson led the Owls to their first state playoff win in 19 years, and in the second round, helped give the first seed and eventual state champion Natchitoches Central High School all they could handle before bowing out, their closest playoff game until the state final. He averaged 20.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 8.1 blocks, and 2 steals per game. He made the all-district, all-Metro, and all-State teams for his efforts. Robinson then joined

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

-based Nike Pro Skills on the AAU circuit for the summer, winning individual honors in the Nike EYBL and leading Pro Skills to the season-ending Peach Jam. His recruiting ranking shot up, and he earned his fifth star. Against the top players in the country, Robinson averaged 15.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game, being named to the All-EYBL second team. As a senior at Chalmette, Robinson averaged 25.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots per outing, while earning Naismith Trophy All-America honorable mention and MaxPreps All-America honorable mention status as well as ''

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'' All-USA Louisiana first team honors and being named All-District, All-Metro, All-State, and the All-Metro Player of the Year from '' the New Orleans Advocate'', as well as the ''St. Bernard Post'' Male Athlete of the Year for the parish. He led Chalmette to their first district championship in their own regular season tournament in 20 years, first district title in 21 years in the toughest basketball district in the state, and to the state semifinals for the first time in 32 years. In the Owls' four-game state playoff run, Robinson averaged 34.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 7.8 blocks. Robinson became the first Chalmette basketball player to be named a

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, and also played in the Jordan Brand Classic and the LHSBCA All-Star game. Playing in the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game, Robinson tallied 14 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots. He participated in the 2017 Jordan Brand Classic, scoring 15 points in 17 minutes of play, while pulling down three rebounds. Robinson originally committed to play

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

, but then de-committed to follow coach

Rick Stansbury Richard Lee Stansbury (born December 23, 1959), is an American college basketball coach who most recently was an assistant coach at the Memphis Tigers men's basketball, University of Memphis. He was the head coach at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ...

to Western Kentucky. Stansbury had recruited Robinson as the Aggies' assistant coach. Basketball writer Jason Frakes wrote in February 2017, Robinson "may go down as the biggest recruiting coup in WKU basketball history."

College career

In July 2017, Robinson had enrolled at Western Kentucky University for the summer semester, and practiced with the team for about two weeks before a planned team trip to

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

. Sources then indicated that he had left campus, and his room was cleaned out. He was then suspended indefinitely for violating the team rules. After speaking with head coach Rick Stansbury, he was granted a release to transfer, and barring an unexpected decision by the NCAA, would have had to sit out the 2017–18 season. With the hope that a waiver would be granted by the NCAA, Robinson took visits to

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

, and the University of New Orleans in August 2017. On August 27, Robinson returned to Western Kentucky a month after leaving campus. On September 18, Robinson announced he would forgo college and prepare for the

on his own accord. He would be the first recruited draft pick to wind up not playing for any college, professional, or high school/

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team throughout an entire year before entering an NBA draft, although he would still be credited as coming out of Western Kentucky by the NBA. Furthermore, because of his brief time going to summer classes in Western Kentucky, he was ultimately barred from participating in the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...

later in the season due to G League rules. The ruling also affected a few similar prospects who were stuck in difficult situations at the time as well, like

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...

and De'Anthony Melton. The announcement also influenced at least one person to train by themselves for a year before entering an NBA draft, as fellow five-star recruit Darius Bazley originally planned on not going to college at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

in order to try out for the NBA G League before deciding against that as well. Robinson was named one of 69 players who planned to participate in the NBA Draft Combine. However, on the day of the event, Robinson withdrew from all combine events.

Professional career

New York Knicks (2018–present)

On June 21, 2018, Robinson was selected with the 36th overall pick in the

by the

. After appearing for the Knicks in the 2018 NBA Summer League, where he set summer league records for blocked shots and offensive rebounds, he signed a multi-year, rookie-scale contract with the Knicks on July 8, 2018. After struggling with an ankle injury during the preseason, Robinson made his professional debut on October 17, scoring two points in a 127–106 win against the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...

. Robinson made his first start on October 26, recording seven points and six rebounds in 29 minutes of action in a 128–100 loss to the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

. On November 2, Robinson recorded his first double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, alongside three assists and three steals, in a 118–106 win over the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...

. On November 11, Robinson set the Knicks' rookie record with nine blocks in a 115–89 loss to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NB ...

. On March 28, 2019, Robinson recorded season highs of 19 points and 21 rebounds in the Knicks' 117–92 loss to the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

, and became the first Knicks rookie since

Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (June 25, 1942 – March 21, 2023) was an American professional basketball player, coach, and general manager. He spent his entire ten-year pro playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball ...

in 1965 to record 19 points and 21 rebounds in a game. On April 9, he recorded eight points and 17 rebounds in a 96–86 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

. Robinson finished the season second in the NBA in blocked shots per game, only behind Myles Turner of the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

, and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. On December 17, 2019, Robinson scored a career-high 22 points and recorded 13 rebounds in a 143–120 win against the Hawks. On January 1, 2020, Robinson scored 22 points on perfect 11-of-11 shooting from the field in a 117–93 win against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. On February 26, Robinson recorded a double-double with 12 points and a season-high 16 rebounds in a 108–101 loss to the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

. When the 2019–20 regular season finished, Robinson broke

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...

's league record for highest field goal percentage in a single season. On February 12, 2021, in the Knicks' game against the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...

, Robinson fractured his right hand during the second quarter and did not return after halftime. On July 12, 2022, Robinson re-signed with the Knicks on a four-year, $60 million contract. On November 30, he scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds during a 109–103 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...

. On September 23, 2024, it was announced that Robinson would miss the beginning of the regular season after offseason ankle surgery. On February 28, 2025, Robinson returned from injury and put up six points and five rebounds in a 114–113 win over the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

National team career

Robinson was named to the preliminary roster of the United States national under-19 team in 2017, but did not make the final cut for the 12-man squad for the

2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup The 2017 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup (Arabic: 2017 كأس العالم لكرة السلة تحت 19 سنة فيبا) was the 13th edition of the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, the biennial international men's youth basketball champi ...

. At the tryout, Robinson measured without shoes, with shoes, , with a wingspan and standing reach.

Player profile

Robinson has been called by some analysts "the best shot blocker in his class", with uncommon closing speed and a long reach that led to numerous highlight-reel blocks. He uses that speed also to run the fast break exceptionally well for a big man of his size, being called the "most entertaining player" in the New Orleans area for his ability to convert

alley-oop In basketball, an alley-oop is an offensive play in which one player passes the ball near the basket to a teammate who jumps, catches the ball in mid-air and dunks or lays it in before touching the ground. The alley-oop combines elements of t ...

dunks. Robinson improved his free throw shooting over the course of his two years at Chalmette, and developed range from behind the three-point line, making as many as five in a game. NBA draft projections have compared his game to

DeAndre Jordan Hyland DeAndre Jordan Jr. (born July 21, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball ...

and Tyson Chandler.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 66 , , 19 , , 20.6 , , .694 , , , , .600 , , 6.4 , , .6 , , .8 , , 2.4 , , 7.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 61 , , 7 , , 23.2 , , .742 , , , , .568 , , 7.0 , , .6 , , .9 , , 2.0 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 31 , , 29 , , 27.5 , , .653 , , , , .491 , , 8.1 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 1.5 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 72 , , 62 , , 25.7 , , bgcolor="#EOCEF2", .761 , , , , .486 , , 8.6 , , .5 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 59 , , 58 , , 26.9 , , .671 , , , , .484 , , 9.4 , , .9 , , .9 , , 1.8 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 31 , , 21 , , 24.8 , , .575 , , , , .409 , , 8.5 , , .6 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New York , 17 , , 3 , , 17.1 , , .661 , , , , .684 , , 5.9 , , .8 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 5.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 337 , , 199 , , 24.1 , , .700 , , , , .522 , , 7.8 , , .6 , , .9 , , 1.8 , , 7.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 11 , , 11 , , 27.1 , , .604 , , , , .394 , , 9.3 , , .8 , , .7 , , 1.5 , , 6.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 6 , , 0 , , 19.1 , , .500 , , , , .375 , , 6.8 , , .5 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

, style="text-align:left;", New York , 18 , , 4 , , 20.6 , , .608 , , , , .393 , , 7.1 , , .4 , , .9 , , .8 , , 4.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 35 , , 15 , , 22.4 , , .593 , , — , , .392 , , 7.7 , , .5 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 4.9

References

External links

ESPN profile

MaxPreps profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Mitchell 1998 births Living people American men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisiana Centers (basketball) McDonald's High School All-Americans NBA high school draftees New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players People from Chalmette, Louisiana Basketball players from Pensacola, Florida 21st-century American sportsmen Pine Forest High School alumni