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Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks flexes during an NBA game.
The New York Knicks received a huge boost regarding Mitchell Robinson amid concerns about his right pinkie finger injury.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Robinson is “gung ho” to play in the NBA Finals despite recently undergoing surgery for a broken pinkie finger on his shooting hand.
“The idea that Robinson is gung ho on playing is a good sign for the Knicks,” Begley said.
Begley added that Robinson’s official recovery timeline is still unclear. There’s a lot of hope from the Knicks side of things that the backup big man will be available to play in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
The Knicks will either travel to the Paycom Center and face the Oklahoma City Thunder or to the Frost Bank Center and face the San Antonio Spurs for the first two games.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday.
Mitchell Robinson Undergoes Surgery
GettyMitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks reacts during the first quarter of a game against the Atlanta Hawks in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Following the high of making the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years, the New York Knicks received some bad news on Thursday about Mitchell Robinson’s finger injury.
Robinson has been a vital part of the Knicks’ playoff success, so it was a tough blow ahead of the biggest series in franchise history.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Robinson has underwent surgery to repair his broken pinkie injury.
Charania added that Robinson plans on playing in the NBA Finals and will be wearing a brace to protect it.
Robinson is averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in this year’s postseason. He’s limited to just 14.2 minutes per game, but he fills in perfectly when Karl-Anthony Towns gets into foul trouble.
When Did Mitchell Robinson Suffer The Injury?
GettyMitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks falls in the second half against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2025 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 140-132.
Midway through the third quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, Mitchell Robinson grabbed his right hand after a rebound play.
Robinson was shaking and grabbing his hand, but he remained in the game before getting subbed off early in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks were up big at that point, so it was more than just a precaution.
However, coach Mike Brown doesn’t want to give more details on how, when or where Robinson initially suffered his finger injury.
“I don’t know much about the details, obviously I know that he had surgery and all that,” Brown said after practice, via USA Today. “For me it’s the same thing, I don’t want to know. Just let me know if he can play and when he can play.”
Brown also sounded like someone who is preparing for the worst in regard to Robinson’s injury. If he can’t be cleared to play in Game 1, Ariel Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan could get an opportunity for more minutes.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
