In Pensacola’s decorated history of championship-winning athletes, many of whom have been honored at Blue Wahoos Stadium, a void exists for an NBA champion.
Mitchell Robinson has the opportunity with the New York Knicks to change it, provided an injury permits.
Robinson, 28, a Pensacola native, who attended Pine Forest High for two years, before moving to New Orleans, is the Knicks’ vital backup center. He underwent recent surgery on the broken pinky finger of his right hand, following an undisclosed accident. His status is uncertain on Wednesday when the Knicks face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
It is the first time the Knicks have made the championship series since 1999.
Robinson, a 7-foot rebounding and defensive presence, now in his eighth year as the Knicks’ longest tenured player, has gone from the basement to the pinnacle with the franchise’s fortunes.
“Yeah, I’ve seen it all,” said Robinson, speaking with New York area media recently during the NBA Playoffs. “This is year eight for me, going from not being in the playoffs to the bottom of the East (Eastern Conference) and not to one of the top in (Eastern Conference). It has been amazing. A long journey and trust the process and here we are.
“I felt like (back in tough times), we are going to change and luckily it did.”
Robinson lived his childhood in Pensacola. He did not start playing basketball until he was in 8th grade. Between then and the end of his high school career, he grew from 6-foot-2 to 7-feet tall.
He became the seventh basketball player in Pensacola history to go on to play in the NBA.
Robinson spent his freshman and sophomore years at Pine Forest, playing on the varsity basketball team. He was named to the PNJ second-team All-Area Team after his sophomore year for the Eagles. He then moved to New Orleans, where he finished his final two years of high school at Chalmette High. As a junior, he helped lead Chalmette into the state playoffs for the first time in 19 years.
He then averaged 25.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and six blocks per-game as a high school senior, earning honorable mention Naismith Trophy All-American and became the school’s first McDonald’s All-American.
After mulling college offers and briefly attending Western Kentucky, Robinson then opted to forego college and prepare for a chance at the NBA Draft. He was convincing during private workouts and the Knicks made him the 36th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft – making Robinson the first Pensacola area player in 34 years to be drafted.
In 2019, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie second team. From that point, Robinson continued to earn a roster spot and with the Knicks. He maintains a year-round home in West Plains, New York.
The last time the Knicks made the NBA Finals in 1999, former Florida State dual-sport star Charlie Ward was the team’s starting point guard. Ward, who became the only Heisman Trophy winner in football to play in the NBA, worked for the Blue Wahoos in 2015 when moving to Pensacola and becoming the Booker T. Washington football coach.
Ward and the Danny Wuerffel, the former Florida Gators star quarterback from Fort Walton Beach and also a Heisman Trophy winner, were both honored by the Blue Wahoos that 2015 season.
Robinson is seeking to became the latest Pensacola native and standout athlete to go and win a professional title in a sport. He is averaging 5.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes in post season. He averaged 19.6 minutes in the regular season with 8.8 rebounds and similar points per-game.
A year ago, the Knicks reached the Eastern Conference Finals before losing in six games against the Indiana Pacers.
“I think that was my first time making it that far, so it was like (darn) we’re right here, and next thing you know, it didn’t play out the way we wanted it to… so it hurt,” he said. “Used that as motivation coming into this year.”