New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson underwent surgery to repair his broken right pinky finger and will be ready for action in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The injury news broke just before Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, with Charania stating there was “no timetable” for Robinson’s return.
Less than 24 hours later, the Knicks — and their fans — can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they won’t be completely without a key rotation piece as they head into their biggest series in 27 years.
According to Knicks head coach Mike Brown, Robinson did not sustain the injury during any game or practice, and when further questioned, a team media relations representative stepped in to shut down any further questions on the subject.
Brown and his staff had been playing Robinson sparingly all season, who has a history of injuries that have sidelined him for extended periods, to keep the backup center fresh for the postseason. As a result, he did not play a single back-to-back in the 2025-26 regular season.
Most notable on Robinson’s laundry list of ailments is the left ankle injury he sustained against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 Playoffs, which sidelined him for the remainder of that postseason and required offseason surgery. It was his second left ankle surgery undergone in seven months.
To add to the good news of the present, this specific pinky injury has not been recurring throughout Robinson’s career, and for a player of his skill set, it should have little to no impact on his game.
The Knicks now have nearly a week to strategize how to deploy Robinson in the NBA Finals, and although they have the luxury of time on their side, they still have to put the pieces together.
“We have to prepare, and we’re preparing every single day for whatever the situation may be,” Karl-Anthony Towns told the media. “It’s fortunate we have a lot of time and can figure out a lot of the puzzle — but we don’t know what the full picture is yet.”
