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

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

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 New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(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 (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inter ...

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

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glasgow, Elizabet ...

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

20170329 MCDAAG Mitchell Robinson dunk (4)

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 ( , ,New Orleans

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-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 MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including ...

All-America honorable mention status as well as ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...

'' 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' 4 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

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburge ...

, and also played in the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, B ...

and the LHSBCA All-Star game. Playing in the

2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game The 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game was an All-star basketball game that was played on Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, home of the Chicago Bulls. The game's rosters features the best and most highly rec ...

, 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 In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

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

, but then de-committed to follow coach

Rick Stansbury Richard Lee Stansbury (born December 23, 1959), is an American college basketball and the current head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball team. He was previously the head coach at Mississippi State. He was hired as the WKU hea ...

Western Kentucky Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state. ;Always included * The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogn ...

. 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. 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 (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, and the

University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a member of the University of Louisiana System and the Urban 13 association. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High resea ...

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/

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and str ...

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 the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

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, during which he b ...

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. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in order to try out for the

before deciding against that as well, claiming that it was the only league where winning does not matter after all. 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 The 2018 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Sacramento Kings's California Classic Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. The Sacr ...

, 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 would make 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. 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 league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. 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 Western Conference Southwest Division. The ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was estab ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Atlantic Division (NBA) ...

, and became the first Knicks' rookie since

Willis Reed Willis Reed Jr. (born June 25, 1942) is an American retired basketball player, coach and general manager. He spent his entire professional playing career (1964–1974) with the New York Knicks. In 1982, Reed was inducted into the Naismith Memo ...

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 league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on Januar ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first est ...

, 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 league's Western Con ...

. 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

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

Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain (; August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center. Standing at tall, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 years and is widely reg ...

's NBA 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 league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

, 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 to a reported four-year contract.

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-men 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 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 5 in a game. NBA draft projections have compared his game to DeAndre Jordan and

Tyson Chandler Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Chandler was drafted directly out of high school as the second overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, then wa ...

Career statistics

NBA

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New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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, 61 , , 7 , , 23.1 , , style="background:#e0cef2;", .742 , , , , .568 , , 7.0 , , .6 , , .9 , , 2.0 , , 9.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 31 , , 29 , , 27.5 , , .653 , , , , .491 , , 8.1 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 1.5 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 72 , , 62 , , 25.7 , , .761 , , , , .486 , , 8.6 , , .5 , , .8 , , 1.8 , , 8.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 230 , , 117 , , 23.8 , , .722 , , , , .540 , , 7.5 , , .6 , , .9 , , 2.0 , , 8.4

References

External links

ESPN profile

Scout.com profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Mitchell 1998 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Florida Basketball players from Louisiana Centers (basketball) McDonald's High School All-Americans New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players People from Chalmette, Louisiana Sportspeople from Pensacola, Florida 21st-century African-American sportspeople