Mitchell Robinson has left the New York Knicks for the Boston Celtics, and the reigning champions’ supporters are taking it hard.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the free-agent center has agreed to a three-year, $47.4 million contract with Boston, with a player option in the final year. The deal was reported on Tuesday as free agency opened.
Robinson leaves New York after a central role in the club’s historic title run. That he has walked straight into the arms of the Knicks’ oldest rival has made a difficult goodbye considerably worse.
New York Knicks fans react to Mitchell Robinson’s Boston Celtics move
After Charania posted the news to X, there was an influx of Knicks fans processing the exit in real time — and the mood ranged from raw grief to grudging respect.
For many, the identity of the buyer was the sticking point. One supporter summed up the double blow, writing: “To lose Mitchell Robinson is pain. To lose him to the Celtics is MAXIMUM PAIN.”
Another framed it as a betrayal, posting: “Winning a ring in New York just to immediately sign with the Boston Celtics is an all-time villain move. Mitchell Robinson chose violence.”
Plenty pointed the finger inward. One fan put the blame squarely on ownership, writing: “Knicks fans only have Dolan to blame for this.”
The grief was genuine for those who watched him anchor the championship defense. As one put it: “Man, this hurts. He was a crucial piece to the championship run.”
Others chose to send him off with warmth rather than anger. One supporter wrote: “Still one of us. Mitchell Robinson won’t have to pay for a meal in NYC for the rest of his life. Nothing and no one to fault here, though the Celts got better. Godspeed, Mitch, and thanks for everything.”
Not everyone was mourning. Some turned their attention to what the move means for the rest of the league, with one writing: “Celtics just got an absolute steal. Adding Robinson’s rim protection and rebounding to that frontcourt is scary for the rest of the league. Huge pickup.”
A few, though, reckoned Boston had paid over the odds. One Knicks fan shrugged it off: “What an overpay for the Boston Celtics. The Knicks move on.”
The reaction lands against a backdrop New York fans already knew was coming. Owner James Dolan’s refusal to cross the second apron had left Robinson looking like a luxury the champions could no longer afford.
The numbers made the split likely. The destination is what stung.
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