New York Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson has had some unprecedented struggles at the free-throw line during the playoffs, but many fans feel the situation is not quite as serious as ESPN has made it out to be.
Robinson has made just 28.9% of his free throws in nine postseason games this year. While he has always been a poor free-throw shooter, that is well below his career average of 52.2% during the regular season.
Knicks fans have done their best to lift Robinson up as he battles the yips. When the 7-foot center went to the free-throw line early in the second quarter of Game 3 against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, fans at Madison Square Garden stood up to cheer him on. The fans then erupted with applause after Robinson hit his second attempt.
ESPN described the moment on social media as being “bigger than basketball.”
The Knicks crowd supported Mitchell Robinson while he was at the free throw line 🧡
— ESPN (@espn) May 10, 2025
Bigger than basketball 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JfmnGjcY9q
ESPN was immediately roasted over the dramatic rhetoric. Moments that are described as being “bigger than basketball” are typically reserved for a player who is battling something away from the game. Robinson just stinks at shooting free throws.
Fans were quick to point that out:
Is he dying? What did I miss??
— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@HeatvsHaters) May 11, 2025
Is he dying or he can’t stop airballing free throws?
— MyBookie – Bet With The Best (@MyBookie) May 10, 2025
Acting like he’s got an incurable disease when in reality he just can’t make a free throw
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) May 10, 2025
Lmfaooooooooo bigger than basketball. Crowd full of lifelong losers cheer for a guy who air balls free throws. How brave
— The Saurus (@TheSaurus831) May 11, 2025
airballing a free throw is actually not bigger than basketball
— All Things Mavs (@All_Things_Mavs) May 10, 2025
Some of Robinson’s free throw misses in the playoffs have been so embarrassing that it is hard not to feel badly for him. But struggling to convert from the free-throw line is just basketball, certainly not bigger than basketball.
Robinson needs to find a way to make some free throws, otherwise the Celtics are going to continue to employ the hack-a-Mitchell strategy.
Boston blew massive leads in Game 1 and Game 2 but dominated the Knicks out in Game 3 to pull the series to 2-1. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla delivered an intense message after the game, but it was not quite as intense as what ESPN said about Knicks fans pulling for Robinson.
