SAN ANTONIO — When the New York Knicks got off the bus at Frost Bank Center on Tuesday for the NBA’s media day session ahead of Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, all eyes were on the biggest Knick’s little finger.

Reserve center Mitchell Robinson walked into the arena with the pinky finger on his right hand unencumbered and unadorned:

That’s notable, because the 7-foot offensive rebounding machine just had surgery to repair a fractured fifth metacarpal on that right hand — reportedly last Tuesday, the day after the Knicks wrapped up a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Robinson did not speak with reporters on the several days the Knicks practiced between finishing off the Cavs and traveling to Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs and was limited to individual work rather than full participation during those practices. He also wasn’t one of the nine Knicks players made available during New York’s media day session Tuesday.

When Knicks head coach Mike Brown took the podium, the first question he fielded was about the status of his backup center.

“I don't know what he'll be listed on the injury report,” Brown said. “He did individual stuff yesterday. I'm about to talk to our medical people to see what he can do today.”

When the Knicks took the court for practice, Robinson was there, wearing a black wrap and brace on his right hand:

In the portion of practice open to members of the media, Robinson used his right hand to shake hands with teammates and coaches, and looked comfortable using it to catch passes, dribble and take shots. During one drill, Robinson ran the floor full speed, catching and throwing outlet passes, seemingly without incident. When he filled the lane on the fast break, though, he didn’t appear to touch the rim on any of his finishes, choosing instead to just drop the ball through the hoop before making contact with the metal. (He also made a couple of corner 3-pointers in the drill, with one leading to a brief but boisterous celebration from Knicks shooting coach Peter Patton.)

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Robinson still plans to play in Game 1 on Wednesday, wearing a brace on the injured hand — “a pretty sizable one, I’m told.” Robinson hadn’t yet progressed to taking full contact, though, and will need to be officially cleared by the Knicks’ medical team before he can participate in Game 1. As of Tuesday afternoon, that hadn’t happened yet.

Charania also reported that, while the details surrounding Robinson’s injury remain murky, the center sustained it “in his own home.” Brown had previously confirmed Robinson did not injure his pinky during the Knicks’ Game 4 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers or during a team practice session. When asked for more details on how the injury took place, Brown referred reporters to a Knicks public relations official who said the team was “not going to get into specifics on anything.”

The 28-year-old Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick, selected by the team in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s become one of the best backup big men in the league, capable of making a significant impact in limited minutes off the bench with his relentless offensive rebounding, vertical spacing as a lob threat in the pick-and-roll and paint-patrolling defense. One of Robinson’s best games of the season came in the championship game of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup against the Spurs, when he hauled in 15 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end, in 18 minutes of work against Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio’s frontcourt.

While Robinson has not spoken with the media since the end of the Eastern Conference finals, he did post a message to Instagram on Saturday, thanking his followers for their “love and support.”

“I can’t thank you guys enough for the love and support most of you bring especially at a time like this in my life,” he wrote. “It makes everything I’m fighting for 100x easier to deal with. The ones that want to see me down and hurt all I gotta say for you is f*** you.”